Heat sink for light emitting diode

A heat sink for light emitting diode lighting, the heat sink comprising:

• a base having a side surface, a light emitting diode (LED) element being attached to the base;
• and
• a plurality of plate-shaped heat dissipating surfaces integrally and continuously formed with the base so as to project from the base,
• wherein, for each of two of the plate-shaped heat dissipating surfaces, which two plate-shaped heat dissipating surfaces respectively extend in two different directions perpendicular to the direction of projection of the plate-shaped heat dissipating surfaces from the base, projected areas P of the respective plate-shaped heat dissipating surfaces each satisfy P≧8×S with respect to a corresponding one of sections S, where P denotes a projected area, parallel to a corresponding one of the projected areas P, of a respective one of the plate-shaped heat dissipating surfaces projected by parallel light emitted perpendicular to the plate-shaped heat dissipating surface, and S denotes the corresponding one of areas of sections of the base, the sections of the base passing through a position where the LED element is attached to the base.