Patent ID: 8434794

Claim:
A luggage latching mechanism comprising: at least one male mating device operatively associated with a mating portion of a luggage case; at least one female mating device operatively associated with a secondary mating portion of the luggage case; and said at least one male mating device and said at least one female mating device configured to allow each of said at least one female mating device to slide relative to a corresponding male mating device of said at least one male mating device and to draw said corresponding male mating device towards said secondary mating portion of the luggage case in order to provide said luggage latching mechanism with at least three stages of operation, comprising: an open stage, said open stage providing disengagement of each of said at least one female mating device with its corresponding male mating device and allowing said luggage case to be opened by separating said mating portion from said secondary mating portion; a pre-close stage, said pre-close stage providing an engagement of each of said at least one female mating device with its corresponding male mating device in such a manner that each of said at least one female mating device cannot be disengaged from its corresponding male mating device without first sliding each of said at least one female mating device relative to its corresponding male mating device and further providing for said mating portion and said secondary mating portion to be separated by a gap; and a secure stage, said secure stage providing engagement of said mating portion and said secondary mating portion of said luggage case by each of said at least one female mating device drawing its corresponding male mating device towards said secondary mating portion to eliminate the gap between said mating portion and said secondary mating portion and thus bring said mating portion into engagement with said secondary mating portion and further providing continued engagement of each of said at least one female mating device and its corresponding male mating device in such a manner that each of said at least one female mating device cannot be disengaged from its corresponding male mating device without first sliding each of said at least one female mating device relative to its corresponding male mating device.