Chassis and mounting arrangement for a panoramic camera

1. A method for mounting an imaging sensor to a chassis, comprising:

forming a plurality of arcuately spaced slots in a body of the chassis; and

forming a plurality of sensor sub-assemblies, each of the plurality of sensor sub-assemblies comprising a sensor mounted to a cartridge block, wherein each of said cartridge blocks comprises an anchor formation which is shaped and dimensioned to fit into one of said arcuately spaced slots for securing each said sensor sub-assembly to the chassis; and

forming a pair of apertures associated with each of said arcuately spaced slots, wherein the cartridge block of each of the plurality of sensor sub-assemblies is secured to the chassis by fastening countersunk fasteners through each of the pair of apertures in order to secure the cartridge blocks to the chassis,

wherein each of the plurality of sensor sub-assemblies include a lens portion, wherein one end of the lens portion is horizontally inserted into an aperture in the respective cartridge block, and wherein the one end of the lens portion is secured in the aperture by fastening a set-screw in the cartridge blocks in order to narrow a size of the aperture and crimp the lens portion into said aperture.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein each slot is fabricated via a metal injection molding process.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein forming the sensor sub-assembly comprises securing a printed circuit board (PCB) to an end of the cartridge block for the sub-assembly.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said securing of the PCB to the cartridge block comprises preventing warping of the PCB by cutting a notch in at least one second aperture formed in the PCB thereby to allow the lateral displacement of PCB relative to a through axis of said second aperture.

5. A chassis for a multiple-sensor panoramic camera, comprising:

a body formed with a plurality of arcuately spaced slots shaped and dimensioned to receive an anchor of a cartridge assembly therein for securing each sensor sub-assembly from a plurality of sensor sub-assemblies to the chassis;

a pair of matching apertures associated with each of the slots, wherein the cartridge assembly of each of the plurality of sensor sub-assemblies is secured to the chassis by fastening countersunk fasteners through each of the pair of apertures in order to secure the cartridge assembly to the chassis,

wherein each of the plurality of sensor sub assemblies include a lens portion, wherein one end of the lens portion is horizontally inserted into an aperture in the cartridge assembly, and wherein the one end of the lens portion is firmly secured in the aperture by fastening a set-screw in each of the plurality of cartridge assemblies in order to narrow a size of the aperture and crimp the lens portion into said aperture.

6. The chassis of claim 5 , made by a metal injection molding process.

7. The chassis of claim 6 , wherein the chassis is of aluminum.

8. The chassis of claim 5 , wherein each slot is positioned relative to its neighbor to position of less than 300 micrometers.

9. A panoramic camera, comprising:

a chassis which includes a body formed with a plurality of arcuately shaped slots and a pair of matching apertures associated with each slot;

at least one sensor sub-assembly from a plurality of sensor sub-assemblies mounted to the body of the chassis, each via an anchor that is seated into one of said slots for securing each of the sensor sub-assembly to the body of the chassis, wherein each of the sensor sub-assembly comprises a sensor mounted to a cartridge block, wherein said cartridge block comprises the anchor, wherein the cartridge block of each of the plurality of sensor sub-assemblies are secured to the body of the chassis by fastening countersunk fasteners through each of the pair of apertures in order to secure the cartridge block of each of the plurality of sensor sub-assemblies to the chassis,

wherein each of the plurality of sensor sub-assemblies comprises a lens portion which is mounted to the cartridge block by horizontally inserting one end of the lens portion into an aperture in the cartridge block, and wherein the one end of the lens portion is firmly secured in the aperture by fastening a set-screw in the cartridge block in order to narrow a size of the aperture and crimp the lens portion into said aperture.

10. The panoramic camera of claim 9 , wherein the chassis is made by a metal injection molding process.

11. The panoramic camera of claim 10 , wherein the chassis is of aluminum.

12. The panoramic camera of claim 9 , wherein each slot is positioned relative to its neighbor to position of less than 300 micrometers.