Toolless-Cuddly 免工具連接器 by Yu Ren is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2025 A' Design Award 鐵獎 in 設計品質 Competition Category.

鐵設計品質· 2025

Toolless-Cuddly 免工具連接器

by Yu Ren

Client: Ziel Home Furnishing Technology Co., Ltd.

A' Design Award 鐵獎 Winner in 設計品質 Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #164472

View at A' Design Award Press Release Award Badge

Colors

The Design

About Toolless-Cuddly 免工具連接器

書本文字:「免工具軟趣」係一款專為組裝貓爬架而設計嘅連接器。呢個連接器以塑膠製造,尺寸為闊76毫米、深76毫米、高46毫米。組裝時只需對齊卡扣並旋轉,完全唔需要用到任何工具。零件可以反覆拆卸同組合,方便貓爬架根據貓咪嘅需要進行擴充或者重新配置。呢個連接器可承受30公斤嘅負重。磨損嘅配件可以更換,從而延長貓爬架嘅使用壽命。

The Recognition

About the A' Design Award 鐵獎

Toolless-Cuddly 免工具連接器是 A' Design Award 鐵獎得主，這是授予滿足人們對設計精良的創作所期待的專業與工業要求的優良設計的聲望認可。鐵獎得主展現出其創作者的高超技藝、高度專業化、專家級的理解力和創造能力。預計Toolless-Cuddly 免工具連接器將成為一件備受推崇、令人欽佩且被珍愛的創作，既實用又創新。這件贏得 A' Design Award 鐵獎的設計整合了行業最佳實踐，並擁有與專業知識和才華相結合的稱職技術特性。Toolless-Cuddly 免工具連接器因其嚴謹而受到尊重，旨在提供有助於讓世界變得更美好的生活品質改善。

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