Modular furniture assembly with locking mechanism and method of assembly

A modular furniture assembly comprising:

• a first strut having a first strut first end portion and a first strut second end portion disposed opposite to the first strut first end portion, the first strut being elongated along a first strut axis that extends through the first strut first end portion and the first strut second end portion;
• a first strut first end fitting attached to the first strut first end portion, the first strut first end fitting comprising protruding portions that extend transverse to the first strut axis to beyond an outer surface of the first strut first end portion;
• a second strut having a second strut first end portion and a second strut second end portion disposed opposite to the second strut first end portion, the second strut being elongated along a second strut axis that extends through the second strut first end portion and the second strut second end portion;
• a second strut first end fitting attached to the second strut first end portion, the second strut first end fitting comprising protruding portions that extend transverse to the second strut axis to beyond an outer surface of the second strut first end portion;
• a connector comprising a first receptacle and a second receptacle, the first receptacle being configured to accommodate insertion of the protruding portions of the first strut first end fitting into the first receptacle, the second receptacle being configured to accommodate insertion of the protruding portions of the second strut first end fitting into the second receptacle;
• a first locking member having a central passage through which at least one of the first strut first end portion and the first strut first end fitting extends, the first locking member being configured to interface with the first strut first end fitting and be coupled to the connector so as to clamp the protruding portions of the first strut first end fitting to an interfacing surface of the first receptacle to fixedly secure the first strut to the connector;
• and
• a second locking member having a central passage through which at least one of the second strut first end portion and the second strut first end fitting extends, the second locking member being configured to interface with the second strut first end fitting and be coupled to the connector so as to clamp the protruding portions of the second strut first end fitting to an interfacing surface of the second receptacle to fixedly secure the second strut to the connector.