Black Hole Kattebakke by Liang Xueyong is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award i Bronze in Kæledyrspleje, Legetøj, Tilbehør og Produkter til Dyr Design Competition Category.
BronzeKæledyrspleje· 2025
Black Hole Kattebakke
Client: Suzao Union (Hangzhou) Technology Co., Ltd.
A' Design Award i Bronze Winner in Kæledyrspleje Category
Verified Award Winner
Verify Award Status for #162288The Design
About Black Hole Kattebakke
Black Hole er en kattebakke designet til at passe til moderne indretning. En ring danner den forreste indgang og er forbundet til topdækslet med en forbindelsesstang, så begge dele bevæger sig sammen. Ved at dreje ringen åbnes dækslet, og forbindelsen skaber naturlig modstand for en blød og lydløs lukning. Et udløb i topdækslet gør, at strøelse, som katten har båret med sig ud, falder tilbage i kassen, når dækslet løftes. Ringen skjuler også beholderens form. Black Hole er fremstillet af plastik, primært PP og ABS, og ringen kan placeres inde i kassen ved transport.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award i Bronze
Black Hole Kattebakke er vinder af A' Design Award i Bronze, en højt prestigefyldt anerkendelse, der tildeles enestående designs, som udmærker sig ved kreativitet, opfindsomhed og skarpsindighed. Bronzevinderne er rigeligt dygtige og påfaldende kreative artefakter, der bekræfter deres designeres store erfaring, fantasi og snilde. Black Hole Kattebakke forventes at være en højt estimeret, beundret og kær genstand, der er bemærkelsesværdigt professionel og innovativ. Dette design, der har vundet A' Design Award i Bronze, indarbejder bedste praksis inden for kunst, videnskab, design og teknologi og er fremragende på grund af sin sans for detaljer. Black Hole Kattebakke tilfredsstiller pragtfuldt behov, rører længsler, charmerer følelser og appellerer til nysgerrigheden.
Behind the Design
Press Kit
Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.
- Unique Properties
- The Decopark Black Hole Cat Litter Box features a ring mechanism connected to the top cover via a linkage rod, allowing for synchronized operation. The ring serves as a front entrance and can also be rotated to open the top cover. And the linkage rod’s opening and closing mechanism adds natural deceleration resistance, effectively reducing the noise of closing impacts. The outlet on the top cover allows cat litter carried out by the cat to fall back into the box as the cover is being lifted.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Overall Dimensions: Length 565mm x Width 418mm x Height 520mm
Container Dimensions: Length 550mm x Width 380mm x Height 410mm
Weight: 3.1kg
Material: PP/ABS - Tags
- Black Hole, Exploration, Soft-close mechanism, Integration with Indoor Environment, Cat Litter Box
- Production Technology
- It is made of plastic, primarily PP and ABS. The ring as a main feature meet the needs to link with the lid. We have tried many linkage methods, dealing with challenges to calculating the corresponding supporting point of the structure and the products counterweights to open and close the lid with just a connecting rod, and also adds resistance for a soft close. Regarding transport, the size of the ring are designed to allow it to be placed inside the box, in case of transport damage.
- Design Challenge
- The most challenging part is the product's dual-direction opening and closing mechanism. Initially, we aimed to achieve the lid's opening and closing using the movement or rotation of a ring. Eventually, we chose the rotational motion structure. This involved overcoming challenges including calculating the appropriate support points of this structure and determining the product's counterweights. Therefore, this design allows the lid to be operated by a single connecting rod, providing both smooth opening and closing, as well as resistance for a soft close.
- Research
- Through observation, we found current cat litter box market have not taken the integration of home design into account, making it difficult for them to be a part of modern home design. Therefore, we made a series of improvement. In terms of shape, we designed a ring to hide the original shape of the cat litter box, making the function and style coordinated. Regarding the function, the exit of the lid can remove the remaining litter that would fall back into the litter box as the lid close.
- Inspiration
- Due to limitations of their functional design, traditional cat litter boxes face the challenge of matching with interior decoration. Recognizing cats innate curiosity for exploring caves, this product offers them an innovative and thrilling experience during use. The shapes of black holes have inspired the design of the ring, which not only covers the original cat litter box but also serves as a visual element to integrate with different interior design styles.
- Project Duration
- The project started in November 2023 in Hangzhou, and was exhibited in The ONE Pet Show in April 2024.
- Operation Flow
- Black Hole Cat Litter Box features a ring mechanism connected to the top cover via a linkage rod, allowing for synchronized operation. The ring serves as a front entrance for the cat and can also be rotated to open the top cover. And the linkage rod’s opening and closing mechanism adds natural deceleration resistance, effectively reducing the noise of closing impacts.
- Patents
- Decopark (2023) Suzao Union (Hangzhou) Technology Co., Ltd.;
Patent Applied. Patent No. 202420603254.1. Zhejiang Sci-tech University. 2024. China.
Patent Applied. Patent No. 2024301617060. Suzao Union (Hangzhou) Technology Co., Ltd. 2024. China. - Team Members
- Wang Sijia
Wang Qianqiu
Yu Fei
Yu Sushu
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