Patent ID: 8181190

Claim:
An optical disc apparatus for recording information onto and reproducing information from an optical disc, the apparatus comprising: an optical pickup device for radiating a laser beam onto the optical disc and receiving the light reflected by the optical disc; a pickup transfer mechanism for moving the optical pickup device substantially in the radially inward and outward directions of the optical disc; a disc motor for rotationally driving the optical disc; a chassis for mounting thereon the optical pickup device, the pickup transfer mechanism, and the disc motor; a tray coupled to the chassis, the tray adapted to load the optical disc into the apparatus by the slide-in movement of the tray into the apparatus and to unload the optical disc from the apparatus by the slide-out movement of the tray from the apparatus; a bottom cover fixed to the surface of the tray which is opposite the disc placing surface of the tray; a bottom case disposed further outwardly from the bottom cover so as to cover the bottom surface side of the apparatus; a first circuit board fixed to the inner surface of the bottom case and on which is mounted an interface circuit for connection with an external host computer; a second circuit board which is fixed to either the tray or the chassis and connected to the first circuit board; a flexible circuit board for electrically connecting the first and second circuit boards, the flexible circuit board having a first face fixed to the inner surface of the bottom case and a second face which moves with the slide-in/slide-out movements of the tray; and a top cover disposed on the disc placing side with respect to the tray so as to cover the top surface side of the apparatus, the top cover having a convex portion which protrudes toward the inner space of the apparatus, the convex portion being disposed on the inner surface of the top cover such that the convex portion is directly opposite or directly above the second face of the flexible circuit board during the slide-in/slide-out movements of the tray and such that the convex portion is positioned further outwardly from the outer circumference of the optical disc with respect to the rotation center of the optical disc upon completion of the slide-in movement of the tray, wherein the convex portion guides or slides the second face of the flexible circuit board along the tip end surface of the convex portion in the direction of the slide-in movement of the tray when the second face of the flexible circuit board comes into contact with the inner surface of the top cover during the slide-in movement of the tray.