Franking machine and method for servicing thereof

A method for servicing a franking machine comprising a security housing comprised of a joined upper housing shell and lower housing shell configured to form a tamper-proof enclosure within said security housing, an ink jet printing device, comprising a removable ink cartridge, said ink jet printing device being movable along a path within said tamper-proof enclosure in said security housing, said ink jet printing device being configured to eject ink to produce a printed imprint on a flat item movable through a transport path defined by a box-shaped module removably mounted to an exterior of said security housing, said upper housing shell having a cartridge flap therein and said lower housing shell of said security housing having a base and interior walls proceeding upwardly from said base that define a non-secure volume within said security housing that has an exterior opening, and a removable cover that closes said exterior opening, a plurality of assemblies contained in said non-secure volume of said lower housing shell at a location beneath a printing station location at which said imprinting ink jet printing device ejects ink to produce said printed imprint, said assemblies in said non-secure volume being subject to contamination by said ink, and said assemblies comprising, in succession, an ink capture contain, at least one service module, and an ink receptacle, said at least one service module comprising a shaft therein through which ink proceed from said ink capture container to said ink receptacle, and said assemblies being removably mounted in said non-secure volume and being accessible and removable through said opening when said cover is removed, said method comprising:

• causing said print carriage to move in a first direction in said secured housing to a first position opposite said cartridge flap, and removing said ink cartridges from the ink jet printing device;
• closing said cartridge flap;
• causing said print carriage to move in a second direction, opposite said first direction, to a second position in alignment with said non-secure volume;
• removing said box-shaped module from the exterior of the security housing;
• opening said cover of said non-secure volume and removing said assemblies from said non-secure volume;
• and
• servicing said assemblies outside of said non-secure volume to clean said assemblies from said ink contamination;
• and
• a hole provided in the security housing in to which a multifunction stylus is introduced to manually displaces said ink jet printing device within said tamper-proof enclosure.