Patent ID: 7334241

Claim:
A disk drive unit having a disk loading mechanism, comprising: a housing ( 1 ) having an opening ( 6 ) in a wall ( 3 ) thereof for inserting or removing a disk (A) into or from the housing, a disk drive ( 7 ) accommodated in the housing and adapted to engage and rotate a disk (A) about a drive axis ( 11 ) of the disk drive in order to allow a head ( 14 ) to read data from and/or write data on a disk, a loading mechanism for receiving a disk through the opening in the housing and bringing it into engagement with the disk drive, and vice versa, said loading mechanism comprising: a tray ( 8 ) which is movable with respect to the housing and the disk drive between a first position for receiving a disk and a second position allowing the disk drive to engage the disk, wherein the tray is rotatable about an axis ( 10 ) which substantially coincides with the drive axis ( 11 ) when in its driving position.