Light guide plate and backlight unit using the same

A backlight unit comprising:

• a light guide plate, the light guide plate comprising:
• an upper surface;
• a lower surface opposite to said upper surface;
• and
• a peripheral edge surface between respective peripheral edges of said upper surface and lower surface;
• said peripheral edge surface having:
• a light entrance surface;
• and
• two opposite side surfaces extending from opposite lateral side edges of said light entrance surface substantially normal to said light entrance surface;
• and
• an opposite surface opposite to said light entrance surface;
• wherein said two opposite side surfaces have respective light-scattering regions adjacent to said light entrance surface to scatter and reflect light entering said light guide plate through said light entrance surface and reaching said light-scattering regions;
• a plurality of light-emitting diodes provided to face said light entrance surface and spaced from each other in a width direction of said light entrance surface to apply light to said light entrance surface;
• wherein said light-scatting regions are formed in respective regions are formed in respective regions of said side surfaces that extend over a predetermined length from the lateral edges of said light entrance surface, said predetermined length being not less than a distance between one of said lateral edges of said light entrance surface and one of said light-emitting diodes that is closest to said one of said lateral edges.