Waste container stabilizer

Abstract

Waste container stabilizers are disclosed that are designed to stabilize a typical molded waste container against, e.g., high winds, automated unloading equipment, etc. The stabilizers include one or more hollow components designed to be filled with ballast by the end user.

1 . A waste container stabilizer apparatus comprising: 
 a support ring; and    a plurality of legs adapted to attach to the support ring; and    a hollow ballast compartment in at least one leg of the plurality of legs and/or the support ring, wherein the hollow ballast compartment comprises an opening such that the hollow ballast compartment can be filled with ballast.    
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least two legs of the plurality of legs each comprise a hollow ballast compartment and an opening such that the hollow ballast compartment can be filled with ballast.  
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each leg of the plurality of legs comprises a top surface comprising an arcuate shape complementary to the support ring, and further wherein the top surface of each leg of the plurality of legs mates with a bottom surface of the support ring when attached thereto such that rotation of the leg relative to the support is prevented when the leg is attached to the support ring.  
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the opening into the hollow ballast compartment is covered by the support ring when the plurality of legs are attached to the support ring.  
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the support ring comprises a segmented support ring comprising a plurality of ring segments.  
     
     
         6 . A waste container stabilizer apparatus comprising: 
 a support ring;    a plurality of legs attached to the support ring; and    ballast within at least one hollow ballast compartment located in at least one leg of the plurality of legs and/or the support ring, and further wherein the hollow ballast compartment comprises an opening through which the hollow ballast compartment is filled with the ballast.    
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the ballast is selected from the group consisting of sand, gravel, water, metal shot, concrete, and combinations of two or more thereof.  
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein at least two legs of the plurality of legs each comprise a hollow ballast compartment containing ballast.  
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein each leg of the plurality of legs comprises a top surface comprising an arcuate shape complementary to the support ring, and further wherein the top surface of each leg of the plurality of legs mates with a bottom surface of the support ring such that rotation of the leg relative to the support is prevented.  
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the opening into the hollow ballast compartment is covered by the support ring.  
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the support ring comprises a segmented support ring comprising a plurality of ring segments.  
     
     
         12 . A waste container kit comprising: 
 a stabilizer assembly comprising a support ring and a plurality of legs adapted to attach to the support ring, wherein at least one of the legs and/or the support ring comprises a hollow ballast compartment, and further wherein the hollow ballast compartment comprises an opening such that the hollow ballast compartment can be filled with ballast; and    a waste container sized to fit within the support ring when the stabilizer assembly and the waste container are supported on a surface.    
     
     
         13 . The kit of  claim 12 , wherein at least two legs of the plurality of legs each comprise a hollow ballast compartment and an opening such that the hollow ballast compartment can be filled with ballast.  
     
     
         14 . The kit of  claim 12 , wherein each leg of the plurality of legs comprises a top surface comprising an arcuate shape complementary to the support ring, and further wherein the top surface of each leg of the plurality of legs mates with a bottom surface of the support ring when attached thereto such that rotation of the leg relative to the support is prevented when the leg is attached to the support ring.  
     
     
         15 . A waste container stabilizing shipping kit comprising: 
 a plurality of support rings arranged in a stack on a pallet; and    a plurality of legs located within a volume defined by the stack of the plurality of support rings and the pallet, wherein each leg of the plurality of legs is adapted to attach to one support ring of the plurality of support rings;    wherein at least one of the legs and/or at least one of the support rings comprises a hollow ballast compartment and an opening such that the hollow ballast compartment can be filled with ballast.    
     
     
         16 . A method of manufacturing a waste container stabilizer apparatus, the method comprising: 
 forming a support ring;    forming a plurality of legs;    wherein at least one leg of the plurality of legs and/or the support ring comprises a hollow ballast compartment and an opening such that the hollow ballast compartment can be filled with ballast.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein each leg of the plurality of legs comprises a top surface comprising an arcuate shape complementary to the support ring, and further wherein the top surface of each leg of the plurality of legs mates with a bottom surface of the support ring when assembled thereto such that rotation of the leg relative to the support is prevented when the leg is attached to the support ring.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising filling the ballast compartment with ballast.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising filling the ballast compartment with ballast before attaching the plurality of legs to the support ring.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein forming the support ring comprises forming a segmented support ring comprising a plurality of ring segments.