Abstract:
A stacked electrical card connector assembly ( 1 ) includes a first electrical card connector ( 2 ), a second electrical card connector ( 3 ), a pair of boardlocks ( 4 ), and a pair of grounding members ( 5 ). The boardlocks engagingly stack the two electrical card connectors together, and protrude below the second electrical card connector for fixing to a PCB. The boardlocks thus securely fix the two electrical card connectors to the PCB.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     1. Field of the Invention 
     The present invention relates to electrical connector assemblies, and particularly to stacked electrical card connector assemblies with multi-function boardlocks. 
     2. Description of the Related Art 
     A conventional electrical card connector, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,095,864, 6,135,792 and 6,352,438 and Taiwan Patent Issue Nos. 238005, 244032 and 244643, is designed to receive a single electrical card. The electrical card connector is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) for electrically connecting the electrical card received therein with an electrical circuit of the PCB. The electrical card connector usually has boardlocks which mechanically fasten the electrical card connector on the PCB. More details about this kind of electrical card connector can be found in Memory Card Connector (Connector Specifier, pp. 40˜42, February 1998). 
     Due to continuing trends toward miniaturization and improved electrical performance in the electronics industry, requirements for smaller components and higher electrical speeds are constantly being promulgated. Electrical card connectors such as the one mentioned above need to be made more compact, in order to save space in electronic devices in which these connectors are to be installed. In addition, more than one electrical card is needed inside certain electronic devices, to provide more functions for the device or to provide for transferring and saving of information. Each additional electrical card needed requires a corresponding additional electrical card connector. The simplest way to provide a plurality of electrical card connectors in a limited space is to stack the electrical card connectors on top of each other. However, each electrical card connector has a separate boardlock used to fasten the electrical card connector firmly on the PCB. The electrical card connector assembly generally needs another element to fix the two electrical card connectors together. As a result, it is unduly complicated and inconvenient to assemble the two electrical connectors and mount them on the PCB. 
     Hence, a new electrical card connector assembly with multi-function boardlocks that overcomes the above-mentioned problems is desired. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to provide an electrical card connector assembly having multi-function boardlocks which stack two or more electrical card connectors together and fasten them firmly on a PCB. 
     To achieve the above-mentioned object, a stacked electrical card connector assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a first electrical card connector, a second electrical card connector, a pair of boardlocks and a pair of grounding members. The boardlocks engagingly stack the two electrical card connectors together, and protrude below the second electrical card connector for fixing to a PCB. The boardlocks thus securely fix the two electrical card connectors to the PCB. 
    
    
     Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which: 
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of a stacked electrical card connector assembly in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention; 
     FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the stacked electrical card connector assembly of FIG. 1 fully assembled, but viewed from another aspect; 
     FIG. 3 is an enlarged, inverted view of a first electrical card or of the stacked electrical card connector assembly of FIG.  1 . 
     FIG. 4 is an enlarged, inverted view of a second electrical card or of the stacked electrical card connector assembly of FIG.  1 . 
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
     Reference will now be made to the drawing figures to describe the present invention in detail. 
     Referring to FIGS. 1-4, an electrical card connector assembly  1  in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a first electrical card connector  2 , a second electrical card connector  3 , a pair of boardlocks  4  and a pair of grounding members  5 . 
     The first electrical card connector  2  comprises a first frame  21  and a first ejector  23 . The first frame  21  comprises a first main portion  211 , and a pair of parallel first cantilevers  213  extending from opposite ends of the first main portion  211  respectively. The first ejector  23  is movably attached to one of the first cantilevers  213 . Each first cantilever  213  has a first post  2110  formed at an end thereof proximal to the first main portion  211 . Each first post  2110  defines a rectangular first retaining hole  2111 , and an adjacent rectangular first connecting hole  2112  therein. A circular first recess  2131  is defined in a top of an end of each first cantilever  213  that is distal from the first main portion  211 . A first bulge  2132  is formed at a bottom of the distal end of each first cantilever  213 . A configuration of the first bulge  2132  corresponds to a configuration of the first recess  2131 . A pair of first protrusions  2133  is formed on the top of the distal end of each first cantilever  213 , between the first recess  2131  and the first main portion  211  and near the first recess  2131 . 
     The second electrical card connector  3  is similar to the first electrical card connector  2 , and comprises a second frame  31  and a second ejector  33 . The second frame  31  comprises a second main portion  311 , and a pair of parallel second cantilevers  313  extending from opposite ends of the second main portion  311  respectively. The second ejector  33  is movably attached to one of the second cantilevers  313 . Each second cantilever  313  has a second post  3110  formed at an end thereof proximal to the second main portion  311 . Each second post  3110  defines a rectangular second retaining hole  3111  and an adjacent rectangular second connecting hole  3112  therein. A circular second recess  3131  is defined in a top of an end of each second cantilever  313  that is distal from the second main portion  311 . A second bulge  3132  is formed at a bottom of the distal end of each second cantilever  313 . A configuration of the second bulge  3132  corresponds to a configuration of the second recess  3131 . A pair of second protrusions  3133  is formed on a bottom of the distal end of each second cantilever  313 , between the second bulge  3132  and the second main portion  311  and near the second bulge  3132 . 
     Each grounding member  5  comprises a base plate  51 , a pair of parallel retention plates  52  extending perpendicularly from a top end and a bottom end of the base plate  51  respectively, and a pair of spaced spring arms  510  extending generally coplanarly from one main edge of the base plate  51 . A pair of receiving holes  521  is defined in each retention plate  52 . A forklike fastener  522  depends from a distal end of a bottommost of the retention plates  52 . 
     Each boardlock  4  is elongated and generally U-shaped. The boardlock  4  comprises an elongate retention portion  41 , an elongate connecting portion  42  parallel and opposite to the retention portion  41 , and a forklike fastening portion  43  depending from the connecting portion  42 . A plurality of first barbs  411  is formed on opposite side edges of the retention portion  41 . A pair of second barbs  431  is formed at distal ends of the forklike fastening portion  43 . 
     The first electrical card connector  2  is attached on the second electrical card connector  3 . The first bulges  2132  of the first electrical card connector  2  are engagingly received in the second recesses  3131  of the second electrical card connector  3 . This ensures precise positioning of the first electrical card connector  2  on the second electrical card connector  3 . Accordingly, precise positioning of corresponding components of the first and second electrical card connectors  2 ,  3  is also ensured. 
     The boardlocks  4  are used for fixing the electrical card connector assembly  1  on the PCB (not shown). The retention portions  41  of the boardlocks  4  are received in the corresponding first retaining holes  2111  of the first electrical card connector  2  and the corresponding second retaining holes  3111  of the second electrical card connector  3 . The first barbs  411  of the boardlocks  4  interferentially engage in the first and second retaining holes  2111 ,  3111 . The connecting portions  42  of the boardlocks  4  are received in the corresponding first connecting holes  2112  of the first electrical card connector  2  and the corresponding second connecting holes  3112  of the second electrical card connector  3 . The fastening portions  43  of the boardlocks  4  protrude below the second frame  31  of the second electrical card connector  3 . The boardlocks  4  are then fixed to the PCB (not shown), with the second barbs  431  of the boardlocks  4  being engaged with the PCB (not shown). Thus the electrical card connector assembly  1  is securely fastened on the PCB by the boardlocks  4 , and the first electrical card connector  2  and the second electrical card connector  3  are firmly fixed together also by the boardlocks  4 . 
     While the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, the description is illustrative of the invention and is not to be construed as limiting the invention. Various modifications to the present invention can be made to the preferred embodiments by those skilled in the art without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.