Hand-held data collection terminal with battery compartment sealing lid and lid-tethering hand strap

A portable data collection terminal comprising:

• an elongate, sealed housing of substantially rectangular shape and having longitudinally opposite top and bottom ends, the housing having a frontal and rear housing portions, the frontal housing portion including a keyboard and a display screen accessible to an operator for interaction therewith;
• a power compartment disposed adjacent the bottom end of the housing and having an access opening in the rear housing portion adjacent the bottom end of the housing, the opening having an undercut ledge along one edge thereof and having a sealing ledge extending peripherally about the opening, the sealing ledge being sloped with respect to the planar extent of the opening;
• and
• a lid of a size and configuration corresponding to the opening of the power compartment, the lid having a rim including a peripheral recess, a peripheral seal retained by the recess, the seal complementarily engaging the sloped sealing ledge of the access opening upon insertion of the lid into the access opening, the lid further having a protruding ledge along one edge thereof, the protruding ledge extending beyond the rim of the lid and insertible under the undercut ledge of the access opening upon insertion of the lid into the access opening, and a latch means disposed in the lid at an edge opposite the edge having the protruding ledge, the latch means locking the inserted lid within the access opening to retain the seal engaged with the sloped sealing ledge of the access opening, the sloped sealing ledge of the access opening seatingly locating the seal of the lid in the lateral and vertical directions with respect to the general extent of the access opening and the lid.

A portable data collection terminal comprising:

• a housing having top and bottom ends and a frontal and rear housing portion, the frontal housing portion having a keyboard and a display accessible to an operator;
• a power compartment disposed at one end of the housing, the power compartment having an access opening, the access opening having a sealing ledge defined by a surface having a slope with respect to the plane in which the opening extends, the housing having a receiving ledge on an inner surface of the housing adjacent one edge of the access opening;
• a lid of a size to fit the opening, the lid having a rim including a peripheral recess retaining an O-ring seal, the seal being disposed to engage the slope of the sealing ledge of the access opening when the lid is disposed within the access opening;
• the lid comprising a protruding ledge disposed to engage the receiving ledge of the housing upon the lid being inserted into the opening of the housing, the protruding ledge retaining one end of the lid with respect to the housing, and latch means disposed at an opposite end of the housing, the latch means latching the lid within the opening and urging the O-ring into engagement with the sloped surface of the sealing ledge, the engaging contact locating the lid resiliently in the vertical and horizontal directions with respect to the housing;
• and
• a hand strap attached at one end to the housing and at the other end to the lid to tether the lid to the housing when the lid is removed from the opening.