Patent ID: 7073717

Claim:
A hand-held printer, comprising: an elongate printer housing having a portion to receive the palm of the user's hand, the housing having a front portion and a rear portion, a platen roll at the rear portion, the printer housing including a channel and flanges at opposite sides of the housing providing a compartment to embrace a portable date entry device, an electrical connector on the housing for connection to the data entry device, the housing providing space for mounting a roll of a printable web, a print module at the rear portion of the printer housing, the connector being disposed between the front portion and the roll-mounting space, the print module including a thermal print head cooperable with the platen roll for printing on the web and an electric motor for moving the platen roll, a releasable latch to latch the portable data entry device in the compartment of the printer housing, the compartment having an open top between the flanges to provide access to the portable data entry device, the compartment being open at the end of the front portion to enable a portable data entry device to be slidably received through the open end.