Patent ID: 8770729

Claim:
An image forming apparatus comprising: a recording head to eject liquid droplets; a liquid cartridge to store liquid to be supplied to the recording head; a cartridge holder to replaceably mount the liquid cartridge, the cartridge holder having an opening serving as a cartridge insertion port, and the cartridge holder being box-shaped to include lateral side faces, upper and lower faces continuously and integrally molded with the lateral side faces, and a rear face continuously and integrally molded with the lateral side faces and the upper and lower faces and disposed at a rear side of the cartridge holder in a cartridge insertion direction in which the liquid cartridge is inserted into the cartridge holder, and the upper and lower faces each having a plurality of guide ribs disposed thereon to guide the liquid cartridge, the guide ribs of the upper face being formed at a front side of the cartridge holder in the cartridge insertion direction, the upper face further having a hook member formed by integral molding of a resin material at an inner wall face of the upper face, the hook member having a claw portion at a position more proximal to the rear side of the cartridge holder in the cartridge insertion direction than the guide ribs; and an engagement portion provided at an outer wall face of the liquid cartridge to engage the hook member, wherein the cartridge holder, the hook member, and the plurality of guide ribs are made of the same resin material and integrally formed by insert molding.