Patent ID: 7264334

Claim:
An ink cartridge mountable in an ink jet printing apparatus having a printhead which ejects ink droplets onto a recording medium and a receptacle having an ink supply needle in fluid communication with the printhead, the ink cartridge comprising: an ink supply port for receiving the ink supply needle of the receptacle when the ink cartridge is mounted on the printing apparatus, the ink supply port having an exit opening and a centerline; a memory device disposed on the ink cartridge; and at least a first electrode having a first area and a first contact portion that touches a first electrical connector of the printing apparatus, said first electrode connecting to said memory device and a second electrode having a second area, a second contact portion that touches a second electrical connector of the printing apparatus and a third contact portion that touches a third electrical connector of the printing apparatus, the second and third contact portions being in electrical communication, and wherein, viewing the ink cartridge in a direction perpendicular to a plane of the electrodes, said second electrode is intersected by a plane passing through the centerline of the ink supply port.