Patent ID: 7431361

Claim:
A waste collecting device, comprising: an elongate tubular housing having first and second ends; a handle positioned adjacent said housing first end; a clamp assembly coupled to said housing second end, said clamp assembly having a pair of hook members pivotally movable between open and closed configurations; a manually operated trigger attached to said housing adjacent to said handle, said trigger being operatively connected to said clamp assembly for moving said hook members between said open and closed configurations; a light member attached to said housing proximate said handle, said light member having a light source and being positioned to illuminate said clamp assembly when said light source is energized; a linkage situated in said housing for operatively connecting said trigger with said clamp assembly, said linkage including: a pulley mounted in said housing between said first and second ends for relative movement about an imaginary central axis in clockwise and counterclockwise directions; a pushrod fixedly attached to said pulley and said trigger and extending therebetween, actuation of said trigger causing said pushrod to pull said pulley in said clockwise direction; and a pull string fixedly attached to said pulley and said clamp assembly such that a movement of said pulley in said clockwise direction causes said hook members to move from said open configuration to said closed configuration.