Patent ID: 7025440

Claim:
A low-profile ink jet cartridge assembly for an ink jet printer, the assembly comprising: a substantially oblong ink jet cartridge body having a printhead side, a first side surface and an opposing second side surface attached substantially orthogonal to the printhead side and having a length, a height, and a width, wherein the length is greater than the height and the width; a printhead containing a semiconductor substrate attached to the printhead side of the ink cartridge; and a flexible circuit having a width, a length, a first edge along the length thereof, a second edge along the length thereof, first printer contact pads along at least a portion of the length thereof adjacent the first edge, and second printer contact pads along at least a portion of the length thereof adjacent the second edge, wherein the flexible circuit is electrically connected to the printhead, and wherein the portions of the flexible circuit containing the first printer contact pads are attached to the cartridge body on the first side surface and the portions of the flexible circuit containing the second printer contact pads are attached to the cartridge body on the opposing second side surface of the cartridge body.