Spread illuminating apparatus including inclined light scattering portions

Abstract

There is provided a spread illuminating apparatus in which a bar-like light source radiates light more uniformly. Light scattering portions are formed to be inclined in a longitudinal direction of a light conductive member such that irradiation ranges of adjacent light scattering portions overlap partially with each other in the longitudinal direction of the light conductive member. Light ranges (La1 La2, La3, La4 and La5) in a longitudinal direction of the light conductive member per beam of light reflected at the light scattering portions and entering a transparent substrate are expanded so as to overlap partially with each other. Accordingly, the light conductive member includes no part that the light reflected at an optical path conversion means of the light conductive member does not cover in the longitudinal direction of the light conductive member. Thus, the light conductive member constitutes a light source that spreads uninterrupted linear light even on a microscopic level.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.