Patent ID: 8717514

Claim:
An illumination device, comprising: a light source; a light guide plate that guides light from the light source toward a prescribed propagation direction and that transmits the light toward an object to be irradiated; an optical member attached to the light guide plate on a side facing the object to be irradiated; a separating member that is disposed so as not to make contact with the optical member and that separates the optical member from the object to be irradiated so as to create a prescribed space therebetween; a reflective sheet attached to the light guide plate on a side of an opposite surface that is opposite to a light-transmitting surface thereof; a container with a bottom that houses the light source, the light guide plate, the optical member, and the reflective sheet; and a second separating member that is disposed so as not to make contact with the reflective sheet and that separates the reflective sheet from the container so as to create a prescribed space therebetween, wherein the second separating member is disposed on the opposite surface of the light guide plate such that one end surface and another end surface thereof make contact with the opposite surface of the light guide plate and the bottom surface of the container, respectively.