Abstract:
A device for positioning an ink jet print head and a cleaning and sealing device may be used in a postage meter and/or addressing machine for print media guided along a printing window in a guide plate by a transport device. In order to improve printing quality, the print head stationarily disposed behind the guide plate and the printing window is adjustable out of a printing position to be set in a defined way, into a cleaning and/or a sealing position and back again, and a cleaning and sealing device adapted to the print head can be coupled to the print head in a positionally accurate and functionally appropriate manner. The print head is pivotably secured and the cleaning and sealing device is disposed behind the guide plate, but linearly adjustably toward and away from the print head. A common gear for adjustment of the print head and the cleaning and sealing device is driven by a motor running in only one direction of rotation. The print head, the cleaning and sealing device, the gear and the motor are combined into a compact structural group secured adjustably to the transport device.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Field of the Invention 
     The invention relates to a device for positioning an ink jet print head and a cleaning and sealing device, in particular in a postage meter and/or addressing machine. 
     In postage meters and/or addressing machines that have been on the market until now, printing is primarily carried out by ink rollers or thermal print heads. 
     Recently, efforts have been directed toward exploiting the advantages of ink jet printing in the field of applying postage and/or addressing mail by machine. The printing is carried out in a contactless manner through the use of ink jet print heads, as is seen in German Patent DE 44 24 771 C1 and German Utility Model DE 94 20 734 U1. 
     In that connection, a postage meter has been proposed in German Patent DE 196 05 014 C1, corresponding to U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 08/791,630, filed Jan. 31, 1997, in which letters or envelopes are fed standing upright, tilting slightly to the rear, with the aid of a conveyor belt. The letters or envelopes rest there on a guide plate, in which a printing window is provided and in which the ink jet print head is fixedly installed. The letter or envelope is moved past the printing window or ink jet print head and during that time is imprinted on the side facing away from the observer. 
     However, the problem of ink jet print head cleaning and sealing is not addressed therein. 
     In conventional office printers with ink jet print heads, the recording medium and the ink jet print head are moved in alternation toward one another in orthogonal directions, with the spacing between the two being constant. The motion of the ink jet print head is effected as a rule in a forced guide crosswise to the ink ejection direction, or parallel to the plane of the recording medium. 
     That is also the case when the ink jet print head is cleaned and/or sealed off during certain intervals when no printing is being carried out. 
     To that end, the ink jet print head is moved, by the same drive mechanism as for printing, into a cleaning and sealing position laterally outside the printing position, and it remains in that position while a cleaning and sealing device is moved toward it and docked, as is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 4,533,927. The motion of the cleaning and sealing device is effected through the use of a lever system, without an additional drive mechanism, by utilizing the print head motion that extends parallel to the plane of the recording medium. 
     That principle cannot be adopted in the present structure, because of the different guidance of the print medium and because of the ink jet print head which is disposed stationarily for the printing process. 
     In another known configuration, for which reference is made to German Patent DE 36 08 912 C2, the ink jet print head on one hand is supported on guide rods so as to be translationally displaceable parallel to the plane of the recording media, which corresponds to its working position, and on the other hand is also supported rotatably and eccentrically in a drive housing. Through the use of the drive housing, the ink jet print head can be selectively rotated into a working position, a cleaning position, or a position of repose with sealing, and can be displaced in the ink ejection direction or contrary thereto. 
     In the cleaning position, priming can be carried out with manual tripping, and the nozzle surface of the ink jet print head can be wiped off through the use of a scraper. 
     In the position of repose, the nozzle surface of the print head is pressed against a diaphragm cap and sealed off in that way. 
     Aside from the fact that manual tripping is no longer conventional in modern machines, there is also the risk in the case of accelerated motion that ink will be unintentionally thrown off by centrifugal force, or that in the contrary direction of motion the ink jet print head will aspirate air, causing the ink meniscus to detach. 
     Finally, a device for cleaning an ink jet print head is also known from International Patent Application WO 96/15908 A1, in which the ink jet print head is secured so as to be pivotable out of a printing position into a cleaning position and/or sealing position and back again. A cleaning and sealing device is also disposed behind the guide plate but in such a way that it is linearly adjustable toward and away from the ink jet print head. 
     The cleaning and sealing device includes a sealing cap adapted to the ink jet print head, with suction slits for each row of nozzles, and it also includes a transversely adjustable wiper lip and a downstream suction pump. In the sealing cap, a vacuuming region is also provided on one end, with a central suction opening for the wiper lip. The wiper lip is adjusted through the use of a spindle drive. 
     The goal of the invention is to improve the print quality. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a device for positioning both an ink jet print head and a cleaning and sealing device, which overcomes the hereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices of this general type, with which an ink jet print head disposed in a stationary manner behind a guide plate can be adjusted out of a printing position that can be established in a defined way, into a cleaning position and/or into a sealing position and back again, and with which a cleaning and sealing device adapted to the ink jet print head and provided with a wiper lip can be coupled for proper function and in a precise position with the ink jet print head. 
     With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, in an apparatus, in particular a postage meter and/or an addressing machine, having a guide plate with a printing window, an ink jet print head disposed stationarily behind the guide plate in the printing window during printing, a cleaning and sealing device, and a transport device for guiding print media resting on the guide plate, a device for positioning the ink jet print head and the cleaning and sealing device, comprising a common gear for pivoting the ink jet print head out of a printing position, into a cleaning position and/or sealing position and back again, and the common gear for adjusting the cleaning and sealing device behind the guide plate toward and away from the ink jet print head; and a motor running in only one direction of rotation for driving the common gear to adjust the ink jet print head and the cleaning and sealing device. 
     In accordance with another feature of the invention, there is provided a common frame, the ink jet print head, the cleaning and sealing device, the common gear and the motor secured in the common frame and combined into a compact structural group adjustably secured to the transport device. 
     In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the guide plate is inclined past the vertical; the ink jet print head is pivotable by more than 90° out of the printing position, into the cleaning position and back again; and the cleaning and sealing device is disposed in a linearly height-adjustable manner below the ink jet print head. 
     In accordance with an added feature of the invention, there is provided a shaft rotatably supported in the frame, the ink jet print head secured to the shaft; and a carrier for the transport device, the frame pivotably secured within an adjusting range on the carrier. 
     In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, there is provided a rigid support shaft and a rotationally movable, resiliently adjustable adjusting element disposed on the frame; the support shaft and the adjusting element connecting the frame to the carrier; the support shaft thrust into a bore in the carrier and resiliently locked; and the adjusting element rotatable about the support shaft within a tolerance range. 
     In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the cleaning and sealing device includes a sealing cap, a wiper lip, a suction pump, a waste ink tank, a frame for fastening to the common frame, and two vertically disposed columns secured in the frame; and the sealing cap, the wiper lip and the suction pump are guided adjustably in height between the two vertically disposed columns. 
     In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, there is provided an adjustable stop, the ink jet print head supported rotatably and resiliently against the adjustable stop; and the sealing cap supported resiliently and floatingly. 
     In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, there are provided guide shafts secured to the outside of and parallel to the sealing cap, the wiper lip linearly adjustably supported on the guide shafts. 
     In accordance with yet an additional feature of the invention, the wiper lip has a housing, and a spindle drive for adjusting the wiper lip includes a threaded bush inserted into the wiper lip housing; a motor; a spur gear driven by the motor; and a threaded rod rotatably secured to the sealing cap adjacent and parallel to one of the guide shafts, the threaded rod having one side coupled to the spur gear and another side on which the threaded bush is seated. 
     In accordance with again another feature of the invention, the gear for adjusting the ink jet print head and the cleaning and sealing device is constructed substantially as a Maltese cross gear including a spur gear coupled directly to the motor; one double-jointed connection from the spur gear to the ink jet print head  2 ; another double-jointed connection from the spur gear to the cleaning and sealing device; an evaluation and control circuit; two photosensors connected to the evaluation and control circuit; and a slotted disk coupled with the gear for scanning the two photosensors. 
     In accordance with again a further feature of the invention, the motor has a shaft with an extension; the double-jointed connections have first cranks; and the spur gear includes a worm seated on the extension; first and second shafts; a worm wheel and a small gear wheel jointly seated on the first shaft, with the worm wheel meshing with the worm; a large gear wheel seated on the second shaft and meshing with the small gear wheel; first and second cam disks having the same profile and a slightly different diameter, and a toothed quadrant wheel having the same outer diameter as the second cam disk and aligned with the first and second cam disks on the second shaft downstream of the large gear wheel; a flange disk for the slotted disk, the flange disk and the slotted disk seated on the second shaft; third and fourth shafts; one first and one second pinion and the first crank of the one double- jointed connection to the ink jet print head jointly seated on the third shaft, the first pinion meshing with the first cam disk, and the second pinion meshing with the second cam disk and the toothed quadrant wheel, in a play-free connection; and another first and another second pinion and the first crank of the other double-jointed connection to the cleaning and sealing device jointly seated on the fourth shaft, the first pinion meshing with the first cam disk, and the second pinion meshing with the second cam disk and the toothed quadrant wheel, in a play-free connection. 
     In accordance with again an added feature of the invention, the one double-jointed connection of the spur gear to the ink jet print head includes the first crank having one end rigidly joined to the third shaft and another end, a first articulated shaft rotationally movably joined to the other end of the first crank, a rod having one end rotationally movably seated on the first articulated shaft and another end, a second articulated shaft rotationally movably connected to the other end of the rod, and a second crank having one end rigidly connected to the second articulated shaft. 
     In accordance with again an additional feature of the invention, the other double-jointed connection of the spur gear to the cleaning and sealing device includes the first crank having one end rigidly joined to the fourth shaft and another end, a first articulated shaft rotationally movably joined to the other end of the first crank, a rod having one end rotationally movably seated on the first articulated shaft and another end, a second articulated shaft rotationally movably connected to the other end of the rod, and a second crank having one end rigidly connected to the second articulated shaft. 
     In accordance with still another feature of the invention, there is provided another shaft rotatably supported in the frame, the ink jet print head secured to the other shaft; the second crank having another end rotationally movably secured to the other shaft and having a fixed stop and an adjustable stop; the ink jet print head resiliently pivotable between the stops, the ink jet print head resting force-lockingly on the adjustable stop; and the stops having a spacing defining the play for the ink jet print head. 
     In accordance with still a further feature of the invention, there is provided a spiral spring thrust onto the other shaft and having one end catching on the frame and another end catching on a housing of the ink jet print head; and the adjustable stop being an adjusting screw guided in a threaded hole in the second crank. 
     In accordance with still an added feature of the invention, the second crank is a sled to be displaced under compulsory guidance on the columns. 
     In accordance with still an additional feature of the invention, the double-jointed connections are coupled diametrically opposite one another to the spur gear. 
     In accordance with another feature of the invention, the slotted disk has an outer periphery with slots corresponding to a number of positions or position combinations of the ink jet print head and the cleaning and sealing device; and a kinematic conversion of all of the positions and attendant functions is distributed over one full revolution of the slotted disk. 
     In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the ink jet print head has a nozzle surface; the slots are first through sixth slots and the positions include: a sealing position associated with the first slot, in the sealing position the ink jet print head is pivoted with the nozzle surface parallel to the front side of the sealing cap, the sealing cap is docked at the ink jet print head, and the wiper lip has moved into a lateral maintenance position; a wiping position associated with the second slot, in the wiping position the sealing cap has moved downward so far that the wiper lip can slide unhindered over the nozzle surface; a first position of repose associated with the third slot, in the first position of repose the sealing cap has moved downward as far as its bottom dead center position, and the ink jet print head is disposed with its nozzle surface still unchanged, parallel to the front side of the sealing cap; a printing position associated with the fourth slot, in the printing position the ink jet print head is disposed with its nozzle surface parallel to the guide plate, and the sealing cap is still down as far as bottom dead center; a second position of repose associated with the fifth slot, in the second position of repose the ink jet print head is pivoted out of the printing position into the position of repose, and the sealing cap is still disposed at bottom dead center; and a readiness position associated with the sixth slot, in the readiness position the ink jet print head assumes the position of repose and the sealing cap, arriving at an accelerated pace from bottom dead center, comes to rest slightly below the wiping position. 
     In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the first slot for the sealing position is wide enough to trip both parallel photosensors simultaneously, and the second through sixth slots are only wide enough to trip one photosensor at a time. 
     In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the large gear wheel has uniform toothing throughout; the two cam disks have an outer periphery each with first and second slots inside a semicircle and a remainder constructed as a blocking circle; the toothed quadrant wheel includes regions associated with the slots having first and second sets of teeth with roots at a given depth, and a remainder cut out smoothly in a round circle to the given depth; and in clockwise direction following the blocking circle: the first slot of the cam disks and the first set of teeth of the toothed quadrant wheel mesh with the first and second pinions of the one double-jointed connection with the ink jet print head to achieve the printing position; the second slot of the cam disks and the second set of teeth of the toothed quadrant wheel mesh with the first and second pinions of the one double-jointed connection with the ink jet print head to achieve the second position of repose; the first slot of the cam disks and the first set of teeth of the toothed quadrant wheel mesh with the first and second pinions of the other double-jointed connection with the cleaning and sealing device to achieve the sealing position; and the second slot of the cam disks and the second set of teeth of the toothed quadrant wheel mesh with the first and second pinions of the other double-jointed connection with the cleaning and sealing device to achieve the first position of repose. 
     In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the first pinion has uniform toothing including four undercut teeth and is narrower than the associated first cam disk, and the slots of the cam disk are dimensioned to permit two teeth at a time to plunge into them simultaneously; the second pinion is dimensioned thick enough to attain nearly a total dimension including both a thickness of the second cam disk and a thickness of the toothed quadrant wheel; a portion of the second pinion meshing with the second cam disk has two diametrically opposed tooth gaps, with otherwise uniform toothing, and the slots in the second cam disk are dimensioned to permit two teeth at a time to plunge into them simultaneously; and the toothed quadrant wheel has regions associated with the slots with toothing equivalent to half a revolution of the second pinion. 
     In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, the ink jet print head has nozzle rows; the sealing cap has rubber-elastic flanges for vacuuming the nozzle rows, ventilation holes in the flanges, and a hose connection from the ventilation holes; and a valve is connected to the hose connection. 
     In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the valve has a slightly protruding rubber-elastic opening and is disposed in a path of motion of one of the sides of the first crank of the other double-joint connection of the gear to the cleaning and sealing device for closing the rubber-elastic opening with the side in the sealing position but opening the rubber-elastic opening again before leaving the sealing position. 
     In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, the valve is secured to the common frame. 
     Securing the ink jet print head and the cleaning and sealing device as well as the drive mechanism for both of them in a common frame surprisingly makes some problems that are otherwise hard to solve, easy to solve. 
     The cleaning and sealing device is necessarily carried along in the main adjustment of the ink jet print head, so that separate readjusting operations are dispensed with in this case. Other adaptation problems that may still be possible between the ink jet print head and the cleaning and sealing device are easily compensated for by the resilient bearing of the ink jet print head and the floating bearing of the cleaning and sealing device. 
     The use of a common gear is not only thrifty but also simplifies the kinematic adaptation in an astonishing way. 
     Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims. 
     Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a device for positioning both an ink jet print head and a cleaning and sealing device, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims. 
     The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, partly-broken away perspective view of a postage meter with a configuration according to the invention; 
     FIGS. 2 a ,  2   b  and  2   c  are enlarged views showing details of a fastening, drive and adjustment of the ink jet print head, in which 
     FIG. 2 a  is a front-perspective view of a frame with the ink jet print head, 
     FIG. 2 b  is a perspective view of a crank for an ink jet print head drive mechanism, and 
     FIG. 2 c  is a side-elevational view of FIG. 2 b;    
     FIGS. 3 and 3 a  are respective perspective and elevational views showing details for securing a common frame for an ink jet print head and a cleaning and sealing device, along with accessory equipment in a transport mechanism; 
     FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing details of the cleaning and sealing device; 
     FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing details of the ink jet print head with a sealing cap docked and with a drive crank; 
     FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing details of the sealing cap with a wiper lip drive mechanism; 
     FIG. 7 is a fragmentary, perspective view of a gear; 
     FIG. 8 is a partly exploded perspective view showing details of the gear, in particular a double-jointed connection of a spur gear with the ink jet print head; 
     FIG. 9 is a partly exploded perspective view showing details of the gear, in particular the spur gear; 
     FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing details of the slotted disk along with scanning; and 
     FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing details of a sealing cap ventilation. 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     Referring now in detail to the figures of the drawings, which are partly diagrammatic for the sake of simplicity and ease of comprehension, and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is seen a postage meter which has a guide plate  1  with a printing window  11 , an ink jet print head  2  referred to below as IPH, which is stationarily disposed in the printing window  11 , a transport device  9  for print media  91 , and a cleaning and sealing device  3 , referred to below as CSD, for the ink jet print head  2 . 
     In order to establish various functional positions, a common gear  4  is provided for both the IPH  2  and the CSD  3 . The common gear  4  is driven by a motor  5  that runs in only one rotational direction. 
     The IPH  2  and the CSD  3  are disposed on the same side of the guide plate  1 , with the CSD  3  below the IPH  2 . 
     The IPH  2 , the CSD  3  and the common gear  4  along with the motor  5  are secured within a common frame  8  and in this way are combined into a compact structural group. The frame  8  in turn is adjustably secured to a carrier  92  of the transport device  9 . This presents a possibility for calibration, in order to achieve parallelism between a transport direction and printed lines. 
     The guide plate  1  is inclined past the vertical, and the IPH  2  can be pivoted by more than 90° upward and back again, out of a printing position to a cleaning position and back again. 
     The CSD  3  is disposed below the IPH  2  in such a manner that it is adjustable in height. 
     According to FIGS. 2 a ,  2   b  and  2   c , the IPH  2  is secured on a shaft  20  with little play Δ against a spring  201 . The play is dimensioned in such a way that calibration for parallelism between a nozzle surface  2101  of the IPH  2  and the guide plate  1  for the sake of a correct printing position is possible. Reference is also made to FIGS. 1 and 5 in this regard. As a result, there is also additional tolerance compensation upon coupling of the CSD  3  to the IPH  2 . 
     The shaft  20  is rotatably supported in the frame  8 . 
     The IPH  2  is coupled laterally to the gear  4  through a crank  423 , which is also seated on the shaft  20  and is seen in FIGS. 2 b  and  2   c . The IPH  2  is pivoted from the printing position to the sealing position and back again through the use of the crank  423 . 
     According to FIGS. 3 and 3 a , a rigid support shaft  81  protrudes from a front side of the common frame  8  and is secured to the frame  8  at the carrier  92  of the transport device  9 . 
     The support shaft  81  is inserted through a corresponding bore  922 , which is constructed in such a way that it both serves to secure the support shaft  81  and acts as a slide bearing therefor. The support shaft  81  is secured in the carrier  92  and the bore  922  through the use of a screw  813 , a washer  812  and a compression spring  811 , in such a way that the frame  8  can be rotated within an adjustment range. The compression spring  811  is fastened between the washer  812  and the carrier  92 . 
     For the sake of adjusting the frame  8 , the frame has an adjusting element  82 , which on one hand is rotationally movably secured to the frame  8  and on the other hand is longitudinally adjustably secured to the carrier  92 . As is seen in FIG. 3 a , the adjusting element  82  includes an adjusting screw  821 , a compression spring  822  slipped onto the adjusting screw  821 , a bearing piece  823  and a locking piece  824 . 
     The bearing piece  823  is rotationally movably slipped into adapted bores of the front wall and of a support wall  83  which is part of the frame  8  and is parallel to the front wall, and the bearing piece is locked in place. The bearing piece  823  is provided with a threaded hole for the adjusting screw  821 . Before assembly, the locking piece  824  rests on the head of the adjusting screw  821  as a consequence of the action of the compression spring  822 , which is supported at its other end on the bearing piece  823 . Two wedge-shaped tabs  921  are disposed on the carrier  92 , and the adjusting element  82  is thrust between them. This is done in such a way that the head of the adjusting screw  821  is supported at the top on the tabs  921 , and the locking piece  824  is locked in a force-locking manner below into adapted recesses of the tabs  921 . A force-locking connection is one which connects two elements together by force external to the elements, as opposed to a form-locking connection which is provided by the shapes of the elements themselves. 
     The frame  8  is either raised or lowered by rotation of the adjusting screw  821 , depending on the direction of rotation. In this way, such an accurate adjustment of the IPH  2  becomes possible that gaps or overlaps in a printed image are avoided. 
     According to FIG.  4  and FIG. 6, the CSD  3  along with a gear for a wiper lip  32  and an associated motor  317  are secured in a frame  35 , which in turn is secured in the frame  8 . 
     The CSD  3  has a sealing cap  31 , which is adjustable in height inside the frame  35 , along with the wiper lip  32 . The CSD  3  also has a suction pump  33  which is coupled both mechanically and fluidically with the sealing cap  31 . 
     As is seen in FIG. 6, on one hand, a flexible hose connection  331  is connected from the suction pump  33  to the sealing cap  31  in a non-illustrated manner and on the other hand, a flexible hose connection  332  is connected to a waste ink tank  34 . 
     Two parallel columns  351  are inserted in a rear portion of the frame  35 . The sealing cap  31  is guided long the columns  351  in an adjustable-height manner through a sledlike crank  433  of a double-jointed connection  43  of the gear  4  shown in FIGS. 4 and 7. The sealing cap  31  and the suction pump  33  are detachably secured through the use of partly visible suitable snap connections  318 ,  4331 , to the crank  433 , which is correspondingly constructed in a lectern-like form, as is seen in FIG.  5 . 
     An IPH  2  with the sealing cap  31  docked to it is seen from behind in FIG.  5 . The sealing cap  31  is supported on the lectern-like part of the crank  433  on compression springs  4333 . The compression springs  4333  are slipped onto stops or protrusions  4332  that act as guide protrusions for the sealing cap  31 . The sealing cap  31  is provided with the snap connections or recesses  318 , into which hooks  4331  of the crank  433  have snapped. In this way, on one hand secure locking of the sealing cap  31  to the crank  433  and on the other hand a floating support of the sealing cap  31 , are attained. Due to the floating support, the accurate-position coupling of the sealing cap  31  to the IPH  2  is possible without difficulties, and overloads are avoided. 
     The compensation play for the IPH  2  is determined on one hand, as already noted, by the two stops or protrusions  4231  and  4232  in the crank  423 . Due to the action of the spring  201 , a housing  22  of the IPH  2  rests in a force-locking manner on the adjustable stop  4231 . 
     The spring  201  is thrust onto the shaft  20  and rests with one end on the housing  22  and another end on the frame  8 , as is also seen in FIG.  2 . 
     According to FIG. 6, the sealing cap  31  is divided into three functional regions: 
     a suction region  310  for nozzle rows  211  of the IPH  2 , as is also seen in FIG. 1; 
     a suction region  311  for the wiper lip  32 ; and 
     a maintenance region  313  for the wiper lip  32 . 
     Correspondingly, three rubber-elastic trough-like flanges  3101  are inserted into the suction region  310  for the three nozzle rows  211 . These flanges are adapted to the geometry of the nozzle rows  211  and are connected through the sealing cap housing to the hose connection  331  leading to the suction pump  33 . 
     In addition, ventilation holes  3102  are provided for each flange  3101 . The ventilation holes  3102  discharge through non-illustrated hoses in a common connecting piece, from which a hose  333  leads to a valve  36  for ventilating the sealing cap  31  or the flanges  3101 . The valve  36  is actuated by the gear  4  or the first crank  431  of the double-jointed connection  43  with the CSD  3 , as is also seen in FIG.  11 . 
     The valve  36  is always opened before the sealing cap  31  is moved away from the IPH  2 . In this way, any negative pressure still prevailing in the sealing cap  31  is prevented from aspirating ink out of the nozzles and consequently detaching the ink meniscus in the nozzle channel. 
     A rubber-elastic, round flange  3111  is inserted centrally in the suction region  311  for the wiper lip  32 . The flange  3111  is likewise connected through the sealing cap housing to the hose connection  331  leading to the suction pump  33 . When the wiper lip  32  is positioned in the suction region  311 , residual ink can be vacuumed or suctioned therefrom. 
     Specifically, the wiper lip  32  includes a housing  321  and a rubber-elastic doctor blade insert  322 . This doctor blade insert  322  is functionally the actual wiper lip. 
     The wiper lip  32  is located in the maintenance region  313 , as is shown in the figure. This position must absolutely be assumed, to avoid damage, when the sealing cap  31  is docked to the IPH  2  or is to be docked thereto. 
     Two guide shafts  312  are secured on both sides, on the outside and parallel, to the long sides of the sealing cap  31 . The wiper lip  32  is linearly adjustably secured with its housing  321  on the guide shafts  312 . To that end, the housing  321  is provided with bushes  3211 , which are adapted to the guide shafts  312 . 
     In order to adjust the wiper lip  32 , a spindle drive is provided, which is composed individually of the following: 
     a threaded bush  314 , which is inserted in the housing  321 ; and 
     a threaded rod  315 , which is secured rotatably to the sealing cap  31  adjacent and parallel to one of the guide shafts  312 . The threaded rod  315  is coupled on one side to a spur gear  316  that is driven by the associated motor  317 , while the threaded bush  314  is seated on the other side of the threaded rod  315 . 
     According to FIG. 7, the gear  4  for adjusting the IPH  2  and the CSD  3  is constructed essentially in the form of a Maltese cross gear. 
     In detail, the gear  4  is composed of the following: 
     a spur gear  41 , which is coupled directly to the motor  5  for the drive; 
     a double-jointed connection  42  from the spur gear  41  to the IPH  2 ; and 
     the double-jointed connection  43  from the spur gear  41  to the CSD  3 . 
     The gear  4  is also coupled with a slotted disk  4126 . Two photosensors  44 ,  45  which are provided for scanning the slotted disk  4126 , are connected in turn to an evaluation and control circuit  46 . The motor  5  receives current pulses depending on the position of the slotted disk  4126  and on a programmed control regimen. The double-jointed connections  42 ,  43  are coupled to the spur gear  41  diametrically opposite one another. 
     As is shown in FIG. 8, the spur gear  41  is composed individually of the following: 
     a worm  410 , which is seated on a shaft of the motor  5  in an extension thereof; 
     a worm wheel  4111  and a small gear wheel  4112 , which are jointly seated on a first shaft  411 , with the worm wheel  4111  meshing with the worm  410 ; 
     a large gear wheel  4121 , which is seated on a second shaft  412 , meshes with the small gear wheel  4112 , and is a shifting wheel of the spur gear  41 ; 
     a first cam disk  4122  and a second cam disk  4123 , with the same profile but a diameter differing slightly by approximately 0.1 to 0.2 mm, and a toothed quadrant wheel  4124  with the same outer diameter as the second cam disk  4123 , all of these elements being seated downstream of the large gear wheel  4121  on the second shaft  412 ; 
     a flange disk  4125  for the slotted disk  4126 , both of which are also seated on the second shaft  412 ; 
     a first pinion  4131  and a second pinion  4132 , which are seated on a third shaft  413  jointly with a first crank  421  of the double-jointed connection  42  leading to the IPH  2 , the first pinion  4131  meshing with the first cam disk  4122 , and the second pinion  4132  meshing with the second cam disk  4123  and the toothed quadrant wheel  4124 , so that a play-free connection is thereby effected; and 
     a first pinion  4141  and a second pinion  4142 , which are seated on a fourth shaft  414  jointly with a first crank  431  of the double-jointed connection  43  leading to the CSD  3 , the first pinion  4141  meshing with the first cam disk  4122 , and the second pinion  4142  meshing with the second cam disk  4123  and the toothed quadrant wheel  4124 , so that a play-free connection is thereby effected. 
     The double-jointed connection  42  of the spur gear  41  to the IPH  2  includes the following: 
     the first crank  421 ; 
     a first articulated shaft  4211 ; 
     a rod  422 ; 
     a second articulated shaft  4221 ; and 
     a second crank  423 . 
     The first crank  421  is rigidly joined at one end to the third shaft  413  of the spur gear  41  and at the other end it is rigidly joined to the first articulated shaft  4211 . 
     The rod  422  is rotationally movably seated at one end on the first articulated shaft  4211  and at the other end it is rotationally movably seated on the second articulated shaft  4221 . 
     The second crank  423  is rigidly connected at one end to the second articulated shaft  4221  and it is rotationally movably connected at its other end to the shaft  20  on the IPH  2 . The second crank  423  is also coupled to the housing  22  of the IPH  2  through its two stops  4231  and  4232 , as already described above and as seen in FIG.  2 . 
     The double-jointed connection  43  of the spur gear  41  to the CSD  3  includes the following: 
     the first crank  431 ; 
     a first articulated shaft  4311 ; 
     a rod  432 ; 
     a second articulated shaft  4321 ; and 
     a second crank  433 . 
     The first crank  431  is rigidly joined at one end to the fourth shaft  414  of the spur gear  41  and at the other end it is rigidly joined to the first articulated shaft  4311 . 
     The rod  432  is rotationally movably seated at one end on the first articulated shaft  4311  and at the other end it is rotationally movably seated on the second articulated shaft  4321 . 
     The second crank  433  is rigidly coupled at one end to the second articulated shaft  4321  and it is linearly displaceably coupled with the columns  351 , which are inserted into the frame  35  for the CSD  3 , as is also seen in FIG.  4 . 
     For the sake of guidance on the two columns  351 , the second crank  433  is constructed in the form of a sled and has a lectern-like attachment, to which the sealing cap  31  along with the wiper lip  32  are secured and on which the suction pump  33  is also secured, as is again seen in FIG.  4 . 
     As is shown in FIG. 9, the large gear wheel  4121  has uniform toothing throughout, in accordance with its function as a shifting wheel. 
     The two cam disks  4122 ,  4123  are provided on the outside, inside a semicircle, with first and second slots  41221 ,  41222 ,  41231 ,  41232 , while the remainder is constructed as a blocking circle. 
     The toothed quadrant wheel  4124  is provided with first and second sets of teeth  41241 ,  41242  in regions that are associated with or adjacent the slots  41221 ,  41222 ,  41231 ,  41232  of the cam disks  4122 ,  4123 , while the remainder is cut out smoothly in a round circle to the depth of the root of the teeth. 
     The following associations exist in the clockwise direction following the blocking circle, with reference also being made to the discussion of FIG.  10 : 
     the first slots  41221 ,  41231  of the cam disks  4122 ,  4123  and the first set of teeth  41241  of the toothed quadrant wheel  4124  mesh with the first and second pinions  4131 ,  4132  of the double-jointed connection  42  with the IPH  2  in order to achieve the “printing position”; 
     the second slots  41222 ,  41232  of the cam disks  4122 ,  4123  and the second set of teeth  41242  of the toothed quadrant wheel  4124  mesh with the first and second pinions  4131 ,  4132  of the double-jointed connection  42  with the IPH  2  in order to achieve the “second position of repose”; 
     the first slots  41221 ,  41231  of the cam disks  4122 ,  4123  and the first set of teeth  41241  of the toothed quadrant wheel  4124  mesh with the first and second pinions  4141 ,  4142  of the double-jointed connection  43  with the CSD  3  in order to achieve the “sealing position”; and 
     the second slots  41222 ,  41232  of the cam disks  4122 ,  4123  and the second set of teeth  41242  of the toothed quadrant wheel  4124  mesh with the first and second pinions  4141 ,  4142  of the double-jointed connection  43  with the CSD  3  in order to achieve the “first position of repose”. 
     The first pinions  4131 ,  4141  have uniform toothing including four undercut teeth  41311 ,  41411  and are thinner than the associated first cam disk  4122 . The slots  41221 ,  41222  of the cam disk  4122  are dimensioned in such a way that two teeth  41311 ,  41411  at a time can plunge into them simultaneously. 
     The second pinions  4132 ,  4142  are dimensioned to be thick enough that nearly the total dimension including both the thickness of the second cam disk  4123  and the thickness of the toothed quadrant wheel  4124  is attained. 
     The portions of the second pinions  4132 ,  4142  that mesh with the second cam disk  4123  have two diametrically opposed tooth gaps  41322 ,  41422 , with otherwise uniform toothing. In other words, at these points, the tooth thickness is reduced by the thickness of the second cam disk  4122 . 
     In the second cam disk  4123 , the slots  41231 ,  41232  are dimensioned in such a way that two teeth  41321 ,  41421  at a time can plunge in simultaneously. 
     In the regions associated with the slots  41231 ,  41232 , the toothed quadrant wheel  4124  is provided with the toothing  41241 ,  41242  that is equivalent to half a revolution of the pinion  4132 ,  4142 . 
     According to FIG. 10, the slotted disk  4126  is provided with six slots  41261  through  41266  on an outer edge, corresponding to the number of intended positions or combination positions of the IPH  2  and the CSD  3 . The kinematic conversion of all of the positions and the attendant functions is distributed over one full revolution of the slotted disk  4126 . 
     The functional association with the various slots  41261  through  41266  will now be explained. 
     The “sealing position” is associated with the first slot  41261 . In this position, the IPH  2  is pivoted with its nozzle surface  2101  parallel to the front side of the sealing cap  31 , and the sealing cap is docked at the IPH  2 . Reference is also made to FIGS. 5 and 6 in this regard. In this case the wiper lip  32  has moved into a lateral maintenance position. 
     The “wiping position” is associated with the second slot  41262 . In this position, the sealing cap  31  has moved downward so far that the wiper lip  32  with its doctor blade insert  322  can slide unhindered over the nozzle surface  2101 . 
     The “first position of repose” is associated with the third slot  41263 . In this position, the sealing cap  31  has moved downward as far as its bottom dead center position, and the IPH  2  is disposed with its nozzle surface  2101  still unchanged, parallel to the front side of the sealing cap  31 . 
     The “printing position” is associated with the fourth slot  41264 . In this position, the IPH  2  is disposed with its nozzle surface  2101  parallel to the guide plate  1 . The sealing cap  31  is still down as far as bottom dead center, as is also seen in FIG.  1 . 
     The “second position of repose” is associated with the fifth slot  41265 . In this position, the IPH  2  is pivoted out of the “printing position” into the parallel position with regard to the CSD  3 , or to the front side of the sealing cap  31 , which is still at bottom dead center. 
     The “readiness position” is associated with the sixth slot  41266 . In this position, the IPH  2  assumes the parallel position to the front side of the sealing cap  31 , and the latter is driven upward at an accelerated pace from bottom dead center to a position that is slightly below the “wiping position”. 
     The slot  41261  for the “sealing position” is so wide that both parallel photosensors  44 ,  45  can be tripped simultaneously. The other slots  41262  through  41266  are only wide enough to allow one photosensor at a time to be tripped. 
     FIG. 11 shows the interplay between the valve  36  for ventilating the sealing cap  31  or the rubber-elastic flanges  3101  for vacuuming or suctioning off the rows of nozzles  211 , and the first crank  431  of the double-joint connection  43 . Reference is also made to FIG. 7 in this regard. 
     The valve  36  is secured to the frame  8  in such a way that one flank or side of the crank  431 , as it slides past, covers or closes a slightly protruding rubber-elastic opening  361  of the valve  36  in a force-locking manner. 
     In addition to the criterion of the disposition of the valve opening  361  in the path of motion of the flank or side of the crank  431 , the fastening point is selected in such a way that while the valve  36  is indeed closed in the “sealing position”, it is opened again even before leaving that position.