Bronze Pet Care · 2025
Black Hole Cat Litter Box
- Bronze A' Design Award 2025 in Pet Care
- CLIENT: Suzao Union (Hangzhou) Technology Co., Ltd.
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 24,901
- Verification code B07DC4482B · Verify this award
Colors
About Black Hole Cat Litter Box
Black Hole is a cat litter box designed to match modern interior decoration. A ring forms the front entrance and is linked to the top cover by a connecting rod, so both parts move together. Rotating the ring opens the cover, and the linkage adds natural resistance for a soft and quiet close. An outlet on the top cover lets litter carried out by the cat fall back into the box as the cover is lifted. The ring also conceals the shape of the container. Black Hole is made of plastic, mainly PP and ABS, and the ring can be placed inside the box for transport.
About the Bronze A' Design Award
Black Hole Cat Litter Box is a Bronze A' Design Award winner, a highly prestigious recognition granted to outstanding designs distinguished by creativity, ingenuity, and astuteness. Bronze winners are amply skillful and strikingly creative artifacts that authenticate the vast experience, imagination, and resourcefulness of their designers. Black Hole Cat Litter Box is expected to be a highly regarded, admired, and cherished object that is notably professional and innovative. This Bronze A' Design Award-winning design incorporates best practices in art, science, design, and technology, and is excellent for its attention to detail. Black Hole Cat Litter Box splendidly satisfies needs, touches desires, charms feelings, and appeals to curiosity.
Press Kit
- 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.
