Image forming apparatus mounting replaceable liquid cartridge

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.