Patent ID: 7380427

Claim:
A method of overriding a combined latch-lock and conventional locking mechanism assembly for use on an article of luggage, said latch-lock including a latch slider capable of moving along a pathway between a latched position and an unlatched position, said slider being normally biased in a latched position along said pathway, comprising the step of: providing a pivot arm having two positions, which upon rotation pivots between a blocked condition and an unblocked condition, wherein said blocked condition comprises the obstruction of said pathway by at least a portion of said pivot arm, and said unblocked condition comprises the clearance of said pathway, and operating said pivot arm to unblock said pathway, thus permitting said latch slider to move along said pathway to said unlatched position, such that upon operating said pivot arm from a blocked condition to an unblocked condition said slider may be moved along said pathway towards said unlatched position, wherein said step of pivoting said pivot arm into an unblocked condition further comprises providing a cam, at least a portion of said cam being in engagement with at least a portion of said pivot arm, and rotating said cam, said step of rotating said cam further comprises providing an override mechanism that is in intimate engagement with said cam, and operating said override mechanism, wherein said step of operating said override mechanism comprises providing a lock cylinder concentric to said cam, and employing a master key to rotate said lock cylinder, and further providing a lever, said lever becoming separated from said slider upon said lateral movement of said slider.