Printhead maintenance assembly having maintenance belt

A printhead maintenance assembly for maintaining a printhead in an operable condition, said maintenance assembly comprising:

• (i) a printhead maintenance station comprising:
• an elastically deformable maintenance belt having a contact surface for sealing engagement with an ink ejection face of said printhead, said contact surface being sloped with respect to said face, and
• a conveyor mechanism for conveying said belt past said face;
• and
• (ii) an engagement mechanism for reciprocally moving said belt between a first position, in which part of said contact surface is sealingly engaged with said face, and a second position in which said contact surface is disengaged from said face,
• wherein said belt is supported by a drive wheel and at least one other wheel, said wheels being mounted on a chassis, said chassis being moveable between said first and second positions.