Furniture assembly system

A shelf assembly system including:

• a plurality of horizontal members, including a first horizontal member and a second horizontal member, each respectively extending along a horizontal member axis and including an axially forward surface, an axially rearward surface, an upper surface, and a lower surface;
• a vertical member extending along a vertical member axis and arranged to cross said first horizontal member and said second horizontal member as viewed in a plan view, including a front surface, a rear surface, a left surface, a right surface;
• a cross axis extending in an axial direction that is generally perpendicular to both said horizontal member axis and said vertical member axis;
• a binding element to bind said first and second horizontal members to said vertical member in said axial direction;
• wherein:
• said vertical member is axially positioned between said first horizontal member and said second horizontal member;
• said first and second horizontal members are arranged to cross said vertical member at respective crossover interfaces wherein at least one of:
• (i) said forward surface is axially adjacent to said rear surface;
• and (ii) said rearward surface is axially adjacent to said front surface;
• said first horizontal member is keyed to said vertical member at a keying interface adjacent said crossover interface to circumferentially lock said horizontal member to said vertical member about said cross axis;
• said cross axis extends through said crossover interface;
• said upper surface of said first horizontal member and said upper surface of said second horizontal member are aligned to provide a generally planar shelf surface;
• said binding element serves to axially bind and press said at least one of first and second horizontal members toward said vertical member and to maintain said keying interface;
• wherein at least one of:
• (i) said first horizontal member includes a notch in at least one of said forward surface and said rearward surface, said notch includes a recessed surface that is recessed from the associated one of said forward surface and said rearward surface, said notch is mated to said vertical member with said recessed surface serving as an axially limit stop abutting said vertical member;
• and (ii) said first vertical member includes a notch in at least one of said front surface and said rear surface, said notch includes a recessed surface that is recessed from the associated one of said front surface and said rear surface, said notch is mated to said first horizontal member with said recessed surface serving as an axial limit stop abutting said first horizontal member;
• wherein said notch includes a keying surface to provide said keying interface;
• and
• wherein said binding element serves to axially press said recess surface against the mating one of said vertical member and said first horizontal member.