Patent ID: 8523420

Claim:
A backlight unit comprising: a plurality of light guide plates each including a light incident surface through which light is incident, and a light emitting surface through which the light is guided and emitted, wherein the light guide plates are spaced apart from each other with the light incident surfaces facing each other; a light source part including a printed circuit board, and a plurality of light source units each including light sources spaced apart from each other and on the printed circuit board, wherein the light source part is in a space between the light guide plates; an optical member which faces a light emitting side of the light guide plates; and an optical diffusion member including: a diffusing part which overlaps the space between the light guide plates and diffuses light which is emitted from the light sources, leaks through the space between the light guide plates, and propagates toward the light emitting side of the light guide plates, and a supporting part which protrudes from the diffusing part in a direction opposite to the light emitting side of the light guide plates, and is in a space between the light sources, wherein adjacent light sources respectively emit light in opposite directions.