Patent ID: 6973433

Claim:
Franking machine with at least one print head of an inkjet print mechanism for printing flat postal objects such as letters or postcards insertable into or passing through the machine, comprised of a guide part arranged so as to project about the print head and further relative to a jet opening plane of the print head, having correlated therewith a transport device for transporting the postal objects between the print head and oppositely positioned conveying rollers rotating about axes oriented transverse to the conveying direction, wherein the transport device has two drive rollers connected in driving connection with one another and forming together with the guide part a conveying path, which drive rollers, when viewed in the conveying direction, are arranged before and behind the print head, and has a counterpressure roller arranged opposite thereto, respectively, which exerts a pressure against one drive roller or the postal object transported therebetween and which is reversibly liftable, and comprising a device for maintaining, cleaning and servicing the print head, wherein, when the counterpressure rollers ( 13 , 15 ) are lowered, a service slide ( 201 ), arranged on a guide arrangement ( 225 ) so as to be drivingly movable transverse to the conveying direction of the postal objects, is moveable into a service position which is arranged underneath the print head ( 228 ), wherein the service slide ( 201 ) at the forward end has a wiperlip ( 209 ) extending transversely to the direction of movement and acting during movement of the service slide ( 201 ) onto the projecting let opening plane of the print head ( 228 ), wherein the service slide ( 201 ) in the advancing direction has at least one sealing bell ( 203 ) which is arranged behind the wiper lip ( 209 ) and covers the nozzle opening plane of a print head ( 228 ) and can be pressed against the plane by being lifted, and wherein the service slide ( 201 ) comprises a Scotch-yoke groove ( 215 ) as a connecting device to the control disk ( 218 ) for receiving the eccentric pin ( 221 ), wherein the groove secures the service slide ( 201 ) in the service position when the eccentric pin ( 221 ) passes through and, upon further rotational movement of the control disk ( 218 ) connected in driving connection with the guide arrangement ( 225 ), the service slide ( 201 ) is locked in the service position by means of the lifting control curves ( 226 A, 226 B) provided on the guide arrangement ( 225 ), whereby the sealing bell ( 203 ) is pressed against the let opening plane.