Patent ID: 8632160

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a plurality of recording heads having a plurality of nozzles to eject liquid droplets; a plurality of head holders to hold the plurality of recording heads; a carriage reciprocally movable in a main scanning direction and holding the plurality of head holders; a guide member disposed along the main scanning direction to guide the carriage along the main scanning direction; a reference member disposed parallel to the guide member in the carriage to hold the plurality of head holders; and a pressing member to press at least one of the plurality of head holders toward at least another of the plurality of head holders, wherein each head holder amongst the plurality of head holders has protrusions protruding from respective side faces of the head holder, each protrusion has a reference face, and for adjacent head holders, the reference face of the protrusion from a side face of one of the adjacent head holders contacts the reference face of the protrusion from a side face of the other of the adjacent head holders in the main scanning direction to determine relative positions of the adjacent head holders, and with the plurality of recording heads positioned based on the reference faces of the plurality of head holders, the plurality of recording heads is held by the plurality of head holders.