The Pan Handle
A dustpan that carries its own broom, so the pair cannot be separated.
The problem
A dustpan and a broom are one tool that ships as two, and they spend their lives drifting apart — the pan in a cupboard, the broom behind a door. The moment you need them is the moment you find only one.
The insight
Give the pan a grip that holds the broom handle. Once the pan hangs on the broom, there is only one object to store, one object to carry and one object to lose, and the pan travels to the mess with the thing that makes it useful.
How it works
- A sprung clip is built into the top edge of the pan.
- The broom handle presses into the clip and is held by it.
- The pan then hangs off the handle, so the pair stand, store and travel as one piece.
- Pulling the pan sideways releases it when you need to sweep into it.
Materials and process
Modelled in SolidWorks. No physical part exists.
What exists now
A finished model from the first run of objects, late 2024. Never printed.
Next: Print it, or retire it honestly. It has sat at the same stage for over a year.
Ruthless Ideas · RI-03
exhibition.ruthlessideas.com/exhibits/pan-handle.html