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Toolless-Cuddly Connector d'Assemblatge by Yu Ren

Toolless-Cuddly Connector d'Assemblatge by Yu Ren is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award de Ferro in Qualitat del Disseny i Innovació Competition Category.


FerroQualitat del Disseny· 2025

Toolless-Cuddly Connector d'Assemblatge

by Yu Ren

Client: Ziel Home Furnishing Technology Co., Ltd.

A' Design Award de Ferro Winner in Qualitat del Disseny Category

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The Design

About Toolless-Cuddly Connector d'Assemblatge

Toolless-Cuddly és un connector dissenyat per muntar arbres per a gats. El connector està fet de plàstic i té unes mesures de 76 mm d'amplada, 76 mm de profunditat i 46 mm d'alçada. El muntatge es realitza alineant les grapes i girant-les, de manera que no calen eines. Les peces es poden desmuntar i tornar a unir moltes vegades, la qual cosa permet ampliar o reconfigurar un arbre per a gats a mesura que canvien les necessitats dels felins. El connector suporta una càrrega de 30 kg. Els accessoris desgastats es poden substituir, allargant així la vida útil de l'arbre per a gats.

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award de Ferro

Toolless-Cuddly Connector d'Assemblatge és un guanyador del guardó A' Design Award de Ferro, un reconeixement prestigiós concedit a bons dissenys que compleixen els requisits professionals i industrials esperats de creacions ben dissenyades. Els guanyadors de Ferro demostren una gran habilitat, una alta especialització, una comprensió experta i la capacitat creativa dels seus creadors. Es preveu que Toolless-Cuddly Connector d'Assemblatge sigui una creació molt apreciada, admirada i estimada que és pràctica i innovadora. Aquest disseny guanyador del guardó A' Design Award de Ferro integra les millors pràctiques del sector i té característiques tècniques competents lligades al coneixement i al talent. Toolless-Cuddly Connector d'Assemblatge és respectat per la seva minuciositat i està pensat per oferir millores en la qualitat de vida que ajuden a fer del món un lloc millor.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
Toolless Clickat is a connector specifically designed for assembling cat trees. It enables quick and easy assembly without the need for tools and can be disassembled and reassembled multiple times, allowing users to use the cat tree flexibly. Whether the cat grows up or the number of cats increases, users can quickly assemble and disassemble the cat tree according to their actual needs, enabling combination and expansion.
Dimensions & Packaging
Width 76mm x Depth 76mm x Height 46mm
Tags
Assembling connectors, Pet products, Pet furniture, Plastic products, Pet supplies accessories
Production Technology
Toolless Clickat is made of a plastic material, which is sturdy and durable, and it can withstand a weight of 30KG. It is designed for the cat tree assembly and is easy to use. Cat tree products can be quickly assembled and disassembled without the use of any tools, significantly enhancing the user experience. Compared to traditional products, Toolless Clickat reduces installation time by 80%. It can also increase production efficiency during the manufacturing process of Cat Trees, which can lead to higher profits.
Design Challenge
During the research and design process, the main challenge lies in exploring a novel connector structure that not only meets the playful needs of cats, but also caters to the owner's preference for convenient installation. In addition, ensuring the stability of the connector to maximize the assembly speed is another major challenge, and the new connector needs to be smoothly adapted to the traditional cat tree accessories. The Toolless-Clickat connector uses an innovative connection mode, eliminating the use of a screwdriver. Compared with ordinary products, products assembled with the Toolless Clickat connector can reduce the installation time by 90%.
Research
Many users express dissatisfaction with traditional cat tree products, citing difficulties in installation, accessory replacement, and the inability to adjust the cat tree area to meet their cats' needs, which often necessitates re-selection. To address these issues, we have focused on enabling quick installation and replacement. We developed the Toolless Clickat quick-installation connectors, which allow for arbitrary combinations and minimalist assembly of cat tree components. Additionally, during subsequent use, vulnerable parts can be easily replaced using the Toolless Clickat system.
Inspiration
When your cat at home grows up and welcomes new companions, it will need more scratching posts and jumping platforms. The small cat climbing frame will need to be replaced with a larger one, and the owner will have to go through the lengthy installation process again. The design inspiration for Toolless Clickat's tool-free quick assembly comes from this very need.
Project Duration
The project started in Zhengzhou in February 2024 and was completed in Shenzhen in September 2024
Operation Flow
After installing the Toolless Click system on the cat tree accessory, users can quickly complete the assembly by aligning the clasps and rotating them. This makes the assembly and disassembly of the product very simple, reducing the time required for assembling a single accessory from 2 minutes to just 10 seconds. Additionally, compared to traditional screw connections, this system is more durable. The accessories can also be replaced according to the cat's growth needs, allowing the product to be freely reconfigured and extending the life cycle of the cat tree.
Patents
2024102953744
Team Members
Ruihua Zhang
Zhe Gao
Youjin Song
Jingkai Bi

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