Rainwater Catchment System
A rainwater catchment system uses a basket-like strainer removably received within an opening formed in a lid of a conventional container, such as a 55-gallon plastic drum. The strainer includes an upper flange or rim, a side wall, and a bottom with a reinforcing web and a mesh. When the container is placed so that a downspout from a roof is directed toward the strainer, the water that flows out of the downspout flows into the strainer, through the mesh, and into the container where it is collected for future use. The removability of the strainer facilitates cleaning of the mesh. The reinforcing web, preferably with radially directed spokes, which may be curved to define a fan blade shape, helps to support the mesh so to better accommodate high volume water flow while also filtering out unwanted debris. This catchment system can be easy made out of a conventional container, such as a 55-gallon plastic drum, or a 35-gallon garbage can, by forming the hole within the conventional lid. Alternatively, a replacement lid, essentially an adapter, can be supplied in combination with the strainer to fit on the top of a conventional container, thereby to further facilitate home use.
1 . A rainwater catchment system comprising:
a container having a top end;
a lid sized to cover the top end, the lid having an opening formed therein defined by an edge;
a strainer removably held by the lid over the opening, and sized and shaped to accommodate the edge of the lid that defines the opening, the strainer including a mesh located below the opening, the mesh adapted to allow the passage therethrough of rainwater and to filter debris from the rainwater when the container is located such that the opening is in the flow path of a rainwater downspout.
2 . The rainwater catchment system of claim 1 wherein the strainer further comprises:
an upper flange;
a vertical side wall;
a bottom connected to the side wall, the bottom including the mesh and a reinforcing web.
3 . The rainwater catchment system of claim 2 wherein the flange, the side wall, and the reinforcing web are integrally formed, and the mesh is secured to the reinforcing web.
4 . The rainwater catchment system of claim 3 wherein the mesh is heat-sealed to at least one of the upper and the lower surfaces of the reinforcing web.
5 . The rainwater catchment system of claim 1 wherein the opening and the strainer are circular in shape, and the opening is offset with respect to a center vertical axis of the container.
6 . The rainwater catchment system of claim 1 wherein the opening is circular in shape, and the flange is also circular in shape and sized to extend over the edge of the opening about its entire periphery.
7 . The rainwater catchment system of claim 2 wherein the reinforcing web includes radially directed spokes.
8 . The rainwater catchment system of claim 7 wherein the radially directed spokes are curved and define a flower petal shape.
9 . A rainwater catchment system for catching rainwater from a downspout and collecting the caught rainwater in a container, comprising:
a strainer sized to be removably held within an opening at a top end of the container, the strainer further including
an upper flange sized and shaped so as to engage the container at the top end;
a side wall depending downwardly from the flange; and
a mesh, held by the wall at a bottom end thereof, the mesh located at a vertical level below the flange.
10 . The rainwater catchment system of claim 9 further comprising
a reinforcing web secured to the mesh and defining the bottom of the strainer, wherein the flange, the side wall, and the reinforcing web are integrally foiuied and the mesh is secured to the reinforcing web.
11 . The rainwater catchment system of claim 10 wherein the mesh is heat-sealed to either the upper or the lower surface of the reinforcing web.
12 . The rainwater catchment system of claim 9 wherein the strainer is circular in horizontal cross sectional shape.
13 . The rainwater catchment system of claim 9 wherein the reinforcing web includes radially directed spokes.
14 . The rainwater catchment system of claim 9 wherein the radially directed spokes are curved and define a flower petal shape.
15 . The rainwater catchment system of claim 9 further comprising:
a lid held at the top end of the container, the lid having an opening sized to hold the upper flange.
16 . The rainwater catchment system of claim 15 wherein the container is one of the following: a conventional 55-gallon plastic drum and a 35-gallon metal trashcan.
17 . The rainwater catchment system of claim 9 wherein the strainer is made as one piece, by injection molding a plastic around the mesh, thereby to encase the mesh.
18 . The rainwater catchment system of claim 9 wherein the mesh has a mesh size of 400 microns.
19 . A method of converting a conventional container into a rainwater catchment system, comprising:
placing a strainer in an opening formed in a lid of the convention container, the opening being of predetermined size and shape, the strainer including an upper flange that is sized and shaped to engage the opening, the strainer further including a lower mesh supported below the flange, whereby with the lid placed on the conventional can and the strainer placed in the opening, and the strainer located so as to be in the flow path of a downspout, rainwater flowing from the downspout flows downwardly through the opening and the mesh for collection in the conventional can.
20 . The method of claim 19 further comprising:
forming the opening in the lid prior to the placing.
21 . The method of claim 19 further comprising:
removing the strainer from the opening for cleaning, and then placing the strainer back in the opening.
22 . The method of any of claim 19 wherein the conventional container is a metal garbage can and further comprising:
sealing the inside bottom edge of the garbage can.
23 . The method of claim 19 and further comprising:
mounting a first plumbing fixture to a sidewall of the conventional can, at a desired height, so as to enable selective outflow of collected rainwater from the conventional can.