Patent ID: 8496810

Claim:
A rainwater collection system comprising: a substantially horizontally oriented, elongated rain gutter, being open along its upper length, closed at each end, and having at least one outlet in a bottom wall thereof; a downspout fluidically connected to, and extending vertically down from said at least one outlet; a rainwater collection device comprising: a housing defining a longitudinally extending passageway for allowing a flow of uncollected water therethrough; at least one laterally extending collection aperture defined in a wall of said housing for allowing a flow of water to be collected into a collection chamber that is in fluid communication therewith and is defined within the housing; a drain outlet extending into said downspout and in fluid communication with said collection chamber for allowing flow of collected water therethrough; and a shoulder at an upper portion of the housing in which a bottom surface of the shoulder registrationally engages with an upper surface of the rain gutter such that the housing is received within said gutter while said drain outlet extends into said downspout; and a drain line fluidically connected to said drain outlet, wherein rainwater flowing from a roof upon which said system is mounted, flows into said rain gutter, at least a portion of said rainwater flows through said laterally extending aperture, into said collection chamber and through said drain outlet and said drain line.