Self-hugging pillow

Abstract

A self-hugging pillow includes functionality to simulate the action of a hug. In particular aspects, a user may dispose the self-hugging pillow around the user's body, such as around the user's chest under the user's arms. The user may activate the self-hugging pillow, which may cause the self-hugging pillow to simulate the action of a hug. For example, the user may cause an activation cord running through the interior of the self-hugging pillow to tighten, such as by grabbing each end of the activation cord and pulling, which may cause the self-hugging pillow to compress or tighten around the user. The compression of the self-hugging pillow around the user may be similar to the compression action exerted upon a person during a hug. As such, the compression of the self-hugging pillow may squeeze the user and cause a hugging sensation, which the user may perceive as a hug.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A pillow, comprising:
 a toroidally-shaped casing having a first end and a second end;   a cushioning material within the casing, wherein an interior wall of the casing is configured to contact a user when the pillow is disposed around the user; and   an activation cord disposed within the casing;   wherein:
 a first end of the activation cord exits the casing through a first opening of the casing proximal to the first end of the casing and a second end of the activation cord exits the casing through a second opening of the casing proximal to the second end of the casing; 
 one or both of the first opening and the second opening is setback from a respective nearest one of the first and second ends of the casing; and 
 the activation cord, when the first and second ends of the cord are concurrently pulled away from the casing, is configured to compress the cushioning material pillow against the interior wall to simulate a hugging action. 
   
     
     
         2 . The pillow of  claim 1 , wherein the activation cord includes a center section having a larger cross-section size than a cross-section size of the first end of the activation cord and the second end of the activation cord. 
     
     
         3 . The pillow of  claim 2 , wherein the larger cross section size of the center section includes:
 a larger diameter of the center section than the diameter of the first end of the activation cord and the second end of the activation cord; or   a larger height of the center section than a height of the first end of the activation cord and of the second end of the activation cord, wherein the center section of the activation cord is a flat section.   
     
     
         4 . The pillow of  claim 2 , wherein the larger cross-section size of the center section of the activation cord facilitates prevention of slippage of the activation cord through the cushioning material during compression of the pillow. 
     
     
         5 . The pillow of  claim 1 , wherein the setback of the one or more of the first opening or the second opening on the casing from the respective nearest end of the casing includes one or more of:
 a setback distance of four or more inches from the respective nearest end of the casing;   a setback distance of two or more inches in a direction that is parallel to a longitudinal axis extending through a center line of the casing between the first end and the second end of the casing in the length direction of the casing; and   a setback distance equal to approximately quarter of a length of the casing.   
     
     
         6 . The pillow of  claim 1 , wherein the activation cord runs uninterrupted through an interior of the casing from the first opening on the casing to the second opening of the casing. 
     
     
         7 . The pillow of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a barrier disposed between the activation cord and the interior wall of the casing.   
     
     
         8 . The pillow of  claim 7 , wherein the barrier is configured to prevent slippage of the activation cord through the cushioning material to the interior wall of the casing during compression of the pillow. 
     
     
         9 . The pillow of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a customization section configured to display graphics.   
     
     
         10 . The pillow of  claim 1 , further comprising a tightening module configured to apply a pulling force upon the first end and the second end of the activation cord concurrently, wherein the user causing the first end and the second end of the activation cord to be concurrently pulled includes the user causing tightening module to apply the pulling force upon the first end and the second end of the activation cord concurrently. 
     
     
         11 . A method of manufacturing a pillow, comprising:
 shaping a casing of the pillow as an open-ended toroidal shape defined from a first end of the toroidal shape to a second end of the toroidal shape, wherein an interior wall of the toroidal shape is configured to contact a user when the pillow is disposed around the user;   inserting cushioning material into the interior of the casing;   placing a first opening on the casing proximal to the first end of the toroidal shape and a second opening on the casing proximal to the second end of the toroidal shape, wherein the first opening and the second opening on the casing are placed with a setback from the first end and the second end of the toroidal shape, respectively; and   disposing an activation cord within the interior of the casing, wherein a first end of the activation cord exits from an interior of the casing through the first opening on the casing and a second end of the activation cord exits from the interior of the casing through the second opening on the casing proximal to the second end of the casing, wherein the activation cord is configured to compress the pillow to simulate a hugging action when the user causes the first end and the second end of the activation cord to be concurrently pulled.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 shaping the activation cord to include a center section having a larger cross-section size than a cross-section size of the first end of the activation cord and of the second end of the activation cord.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein shaping the activation cord to include a center section having the larger cross section size includes one or more of:
 shaping the center section to have a larger diameter than the diameter of the first end of the activation cord and the second end of the activation cord; or   shaping the center section as a flat section having a larger height than a height of the first end of the activation cord and the second end of the activation cord.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the larger cross-section size of the center section of the activation cord facilitates prevention of slippage of the activation cord through the cushioning material during compression of the pillow. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein placing the first opening and the second opening on the casing with the setback from the first end and the second end of the casing, respectively, includes one or more of:
 placing the first opening and the second opening on the casing with a setback distance of four or more inches from the respective nearest end of the casing;   placing the first opening and the second opening on the casing with a setback of two or more inches in a direction that is parallel to a longitudinal axis extending through a center line of the casing between the first end and the second end of the casing in the length direction of the casing; and   placing the first opening and the second opening on the casing with a setback distance equal to approximately quarter of a length of the casing.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein, in the disposing step, the activation cord is disposed, within the casing of the pillow, to run through the interior of the casing from the first opening on the casing to the second opening of the casing uninterrupted. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 placing a barrier between the activation cord and the interior wall of the casing.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the barrier is configured to prevent slippage of the activation cord through the cushioning material to the interior wall of the casing during compression of the pillow. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 placing a customization section configured to display graphics.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 configuring a tightening module to apply a pulling force upon the first end and the second end of the activation cord concurrently, wherein the user causing the first end and the second end of the activation cord to be concurrently pulled includes the user causing tightening module to apply the pulling force upon the first end and the second end of the activation cord concurrently.