Patent ID: 8408754

Claim:
A variable illumination apparatus, comprising: a first substrate; a second substrate opposed to the first substrate with a predetermined gap therebetween; a surrounding wall that is disposed between the first substrate and the second substrate, has a first opening and a second opening that are opposed to each other, and has an inner side surface that is tapered such that an opening area is enlarged toward the second opening from the first opening; a partition wall to partition a liquid chamber formed by being surrounded by the first substrate, the second substrate, and the surrounding wall into a plurality of regions, the partition wall being vertical to the first substrate and the second substrate; at least one liquid lens having a lens surface that is formed at an interface between two liquids and is electrically deformable, the two liquids being accommodated in each of the plurality of regions and each having a different refractive index; and a light source to irradiate light to the at least one liquid lens from the first opening side.