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1. A circuit board for storing information about ink stored within an ink container used in an ink jet printer and providing that information to the ink jet printer, the ink jet printer having a plurality of elastic electrical contact forming members, the circuit board comprising:a substrate having a surface and an edge;a semiconductor storage device supported by the substrate;a plurality of electrodes located on the surface of the substrate, each said electrode having at least one contact portion, the contact portions being arranged in a first row including a first number of the contact portions and a second row including a second number of the contact portions, the first number being smaller than the second number, the first row being substantially parallel to the second row, the edge being located closer to the second row than to the first row, the second row being located between the edge and the first row.
2. A circuit board as in claim 1, wherein at least some of the electrodes are rectangular.
3. A circuit board as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the electrodes is longer, in a widthwise direction, than other said electrodes.
4. A circuit board as in claim 1, wherein at least one of the electrodes is electrically connected to the semiconductor storage device.
5. A circuit board as in claim 1, wherein the semiconductor storage device is not located on the surface of the substrate on which the electrodes are located.
6. A circuit board as in claim 1, wherein the substrate is rectangular.
7. A circuit board as in claim 1, wherein the contact portions are respectively contacted by the elastic electrical contact forming members of the ink jet printer when the ink container having the circuit board is mounted in the ink jet printer.
8. A circuit board as in claim 1, wherein the substrate is shaped to receive a mounting projection of a surface on which the substrate is mounted.
9. A circuit board as in claim 1, wherein the substrate is detachably mounted on a surface.
10. A circuit board as in claim 1, further comprising:a mounting plate to which the substrate is attached.
11. A circuit board as in claim 1, wherein the contact portions in the first row are arranged in a staggered manner relative to the contact portions in the second row.
12. A circuit board as in claim 1, wherein there are only two rows of contact portions.
13. A circuit board as in claim 1, wherein the semiconductor storage device is molded by an ink-resistant material.
14. A circuit board as in claim 1, wherein the contact portions are arranged to contact the corresponding elastic electrical contact forming members in a predetermined order.
15. A circuit board as in claim 1, wherein the contact portions of the electrodes are grouped into at least two groups.
16. A circuit board as in claim 1, wherein the second row is longer than the first row.
17. A circuit board as in claim 1, wherein the second row is separated from the edge by a distance such that, during installation of the circuit board in the ink jet printer, the elastic electrical contact forming members of the ink jet printer first touch the edge and then touch the respective contact portions.
18. A circuit board as in claim 1, wherein the second row is separated from a position of the substrate such that, during installation of the circuit board in the ink jet printer, the elastic electrical contact forming members of the ink jet printer first touch the position and then touch the respective contact portions.
19. A circuit board as in claim 1, wherein the edge extends in a widthwise direction.
20. A circuit board for storing information about ink stored within an ink container that can be installed in an ink jet printer and providing that information to the ink jet printer, the ink jet printer having a plurality of elastic electrical contact forming members, the circuit board comprising:a substrate having a surface;a semiconductor storage device supported by the substrate;a plurality of electrodes located on the surface of the substrate, each said electrode having at least one contact portion, the contact portions being arranged in a first row including a first number of the contact portions and a second row including a second number of the contact portions, the first number being smaller than the second number, the first row being substantially parallel to the second row, the second row being located closer than the first row to a position of the substrate that, during installation of the circuit board in the ink jet printer, is first to come into abutment with one of the electrical contact forming members.
21. A circuit board as in claim 20, wherein at least some of the electrodes are rectangular.
22. A circuit board as in claim 20, wherein at least one of the electrodes is longer, in the widthwise direction, than other said electrodes.
23. A circuit board as in claim 20, wherein at least one of the electrodes is electrically connected to the semiconductor storage device.
24. A circuit board as in claim 20, wherein the semiconductor storage device is not located on the surface of the substrate on which the electrodes are located.
25. A circuit board as in claim 20, wherein the substrate is rectangular.
26. A circuit board as in claim 20, wherein the contact portions are respectively contacted by the elastic electrical contact forming members of the ink jet printer when the ink container having the circuit board is mounted in the ink jet printer.
27. A circuit board as in claim 20, wherein the substrate is shaped to receive a mounting projection of a surface on which the substrate is mounted.
28. A circuit board as in claim 20, wherein the substrate is detachably mounted on a surface.
29. A circuit board as in claim 20, further comprising:a mounting plate to which the substrate is attached.
30. A circuit board as in claim 20, wherein the contact portions in the first row are arranged in a staggered manner relative to the contact portions in the second row.
31. A circuit board as in claim 20, wherein there are only two rows of contact portions.
32. A circuit board as in claim 20, wherein the semiconductor storage device is molded by an ink-resistant material.
33. A circuit board as in claim 20, wherein the contact portions are arranged to contact the corresponding elastic electrical contact forming members in a predetermined order during installation.
34. A circuit board as in claim 20, wherein the contact portions of the electrodes are grouped into at least two groups.
35. A circuit board as in claim 20, wherein the second row is longer than the first row.
36. A circuit board as in claim 20, wherein the second row is separated from the position of the substrate such that, during installation of the circuit board in the ink jet printer, the elastic electrical contact forming members of the ink jet printer first touch the position and then touch the respective contact portions of the second row.
37. A circuit board as in claim 36, wherein the position is at an edge of the substrate.
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