Self contained electrochemical heat source

Claim 1

In a heating device for hair waving operations the combination comprising a shell formed of a hair heat protective material and having a cell receiving recess, an electrochemical cell shaped to fit within the recess in heat transferring relationship with the shell, said electrochemical cell including an electrochemical cell structure formed of a generally thin electrically conductive first member made of an electrochemically active oxidizable material and a generally thin electrically conductive second member made of an electrochemically active non-metallic reducible material, said first and second members having therebetween, said first and second members being further selected for forming an electric heating current producing electrochemical couple capable upon electrical interconnection of the members of heating the electrochemical cell structure to a temperature which is sufficiently high for forming said self-contained heat source; and a multiple of discrete electronically conductive elements extending between the electrochemically active oxidizable first member and the electrochemically active reducible second member for electrical contact therewith, said electronically conductive elements being spaced and selected to conduct an electric heating current between the first oxidizable member and the second reducible member for a uniform heating of the electrochemical cell structure during activation of the electrochemical cell to dissipate electrical cell energy within the shell to form heat for hair waving.