Reduced thickness disc drive apparatus

1. A disc drive apparatus comprising:

an apparatus body to which a disc is inserted and from which the disc is ejected;

a disc recording and reproducing unit having:

a disc loading unit configured to load the disc inserted into the apparatus body;

a disc rotation drive mechanism configured to rotate the disc when loaded onto the disc loading unit;

an optical pickup configured to record and/or reproduce a data signal with respect to the disc; and

a pickup feeding mechanism configured to convey the optical pickup in a radial direction of the disc;

a disc conveying mechanism configured to insert the disc into the apparatus body and eject the disc from the apparatus body; and

a conveyance drive mechanism provided in the apparatus body and configured to drive the disc conveying mechanism,

wherein the apparatus body includes a bottom surface portion, the bottom surface portion including a shoulder extending across an insertion end of the apparatus body, the shoulder having:

a length, the length extending along a first direction substantially parallel to the insertion direction of the disc;

a width, the width extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the width being greater than the length; and

a bottom level, the bottom level extending along the first direction and being higher than the bottom surface portion of the apparatus body away from the shoulder.

2. The disc drive apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the shoulder of the bottom surface portion is formed on a side of the insertion end of the disc in a range from an outermost position of a pickup base on which the optical pickup is mounted to the insertion end of the disc.

3. The disc drive apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bottom level of the shoulder is substantially parallel to the bottom surface portion of the apparatus body.

4. The disc drive apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the shoulder forms a step across the insertion end of the apparatus body.

5. An electronic instrument comprising:

an instrument body having a horizontal surface portion, an inclined surface portion continuing from a horizontal surface portion, and an opening opened in a vicinity of the inclined surface portion and to which a disc is inserted and from which the disc is ejected; and

a disc drive apparatus including:

an apparatus body to which the disc is inserted and from which the disc is ejected;

a disc recording and reproducing unit having:

a disc loading unit configured to load the disc inserted into the apparatus body;

a disc rotation drive mechanism configured to rotate the disc loaded onto the disc loading unit;

an optical pickup configured to record and/or reproduce a data signal with respect to the disc; and

a pickup feeding mechanism configured to convey the optical pickup in a radial direction of the disc;

a disc conveying mechanism configured to insert the disc into the apparatus body and eject the disc from the apparatus body; and

a conveyance drive mechanism provided in the apparatus body and configured to drive the disc conveying mechanism,

wherein the apparatus body includes a bottom surface portion, the bottom surface portion including a shoulder adjacent to the inclined surface portion extending across an insertion end of the apparatus body, the shoulder having:

a length, the length extending along a first direction substantially parallel to the insertion direction of the disc;

a width, the width extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, the width being greater than the length; and

a bottom level, the bottom level extending along the first direction and being higher than the bottom surface portion of the apparatus body away from the shoulder.

6. A disc drive apparatus comprising:

an apparatus body to which a disc is inserted and from which the disc is ejected;

a disc recording and reproducing unit having:

a disc loading unit configured to load the disc inserted into the apparatus body;

a disc rotation drive mechanism configured to rotate the disc when loaded onto the disc loading unit;

an optical pickup configured to record and/or reproduce a data signal with respect to the disc; and

a pickup feeding mechanism configured to convey the optical pickup in a radial direction of the disc;

a disc conveying mechanism configured to insert the disc into the apparatus body and eject the disc from the apparatus body; and

a conveyance drive mechanism provided in the apparatus body and configured to drive the disc conveying mechanism,

wherein the apparatus body includes a bottom surface portion, the bottom surface portion including a shoulder extending across an insertion end of the apparatus body, the shoulder having:

a length, the length extending along a first direction substantially parallel to the insertion direction of the disc;

a width, the width extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction and extending over the center of the insertion end of the disc; and

a bottom level, the bottom level extending along the first direction and being higher than the bottom surface portion of the apparatus body away from the shoulder.

7. The disc drive apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the width of the shoulder is greater than the length of the shoulder.