Disk drive unit having a loading mechanism

A disk drive unit having a disk loading mechanism, comprising:

• a housing having an opening in a wall thereof for inserting or removing a disk into or from the housing,
• a disk drive accommodated in the housing and adapted to engage and rotate a disk in order to allow a head to read data from 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 vive versa, said loading mechanism comprising:
• a slide which is slidable with respect to the housing and the disk drive between a first position for receiving a disk and a second position covering the opening and allowing the disk drive to engage the disk,
• wherein the slide is slidable substantially alongside the wall of the housing in which the opening is made and is adapted to receive the disk through the opening in the housing.