Toolless-Cuddly Montageconnector by Yu Ren is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award in IJzer in Ontwerpkwaliteit en Innovatie Competition Category.
IJzerOntwerpkwaliteit· 2025
Toolless-Cuddly Montageconnector
by Yu Ren
Client: Ziel Home Furnishing Technology Co., Ltd.
A' Design Award in IJzer Winner in Ontwerpkwaliteit Category
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- Verified Award Winner
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The Design
About Toolless-Cuddly Montageconnector
Toolless-Cuddly is een connector die is ontworpen voor het monteren van kattenbomen. De connector is gemaakt van kunststof en meet 76 mm in breedte, 76 mm in diepte en 46 mm in hoogte. De montage wordt voltooid door de klemmen uit te lijnen en te draaien, waardoor er geen gereedschap nodig is. Onderdelen kunnen meerdere keren worden losgemaakt en weer samengevoegd, waardoor een kattenboom kan worden uitgebreid of aangepast naarmate de behoeften van de katten veranderen. De connector ondersteunt een belasting van 30 kg. Versleten accessoires kunnen worden vervangen, waardoor de levensduur van de kattenboom wordt verlengd.
The Recognition
About the A' Design Award in IJzer
Toolless-Cuddly Montageconnector is winnaar van de A' Design Award in IJzer, een prestigieuze erkenning die wordt toegekend aan goede ontwerpen die voldoen aan de professionele en industriële eisen die worden verwacht van goed ontworpen creaties. Winnaars in IJzer tonen grote vaardigheid, hoge specialisatie, deskundig inzicht en het creatieve vermogen van hun makers. Toolless-Cuddly Montageconnector wordt verwacht een hooggewaardeerde, bewonderde en gekoesterde creatie te zijn die praktisch en innovatief is. Dit ontwerp dat de A' Design Award in IJzer heeft gewonnen, integreert de beste praktijken uit de sector en heeft bekwame technische kenmerken die verbonden zijn met knowhow en talent. Toolless-Cuddly Montageconnector wordt gerespecteerd om zijn grondigheid en is ontworpen om verbeteringen van de levenskwaliteit te bieden die helpen de wereld een betere plek te maken.
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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