Patent Publication Number: US-2020275614-A1

Title: Plant Supports and Methods of Using The Same

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION DATA 
     This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 62/811,979, filed Feb. 28, 2019, and titled “Plant Supports And Methods Of Using The Same,” which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present disclosure generally relates to the field of plant supports. In particular, the present disclosure is directed plant supports and methods of using the same. 
     BACKGROUND 
     A variety of different plant support structures exist for supporting climbing plants, such as cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, eggplants, peas, peppers, and climbing vines. Plant support structures include cages and trellises. The plant can rest against, or on, and can grow around or up the plant support structure such that the plant support structure supports the plant above the ground and assists the growth of the plant. 
     SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE 
     In one implementation, the present disclosure is directed to a plant support, The plant support includes a plurality of elongate members that each have a waveform shape including a plurality of apexes; and a plurality of couplers, wherein ones of the plurality of couplers are removeably and rotatably coupled to corresponding ones of the apexes of at least two of the elongate members to form a plant support having at least one of a cage configuration, a wall trellis configuration, and a ladder with central column configuration. 
     In another implementation, the present disclosure is directed to a plant support kit, The plant support kit includes a plurality of elongate members having a plurality of bends that define a plurality of apexes, the plurality of apexes including first apexes located in a first plane along a first axis and second apexes located in the first plane and along a second axis that is substantially parallel to the first axis; and a plurality of couplers configured to releasably and rotatably couple together at least two of the elongate members at the first or second apexes. 
     In yet another implementation, the present disclosure is directed to a method of using a plant support, the plant support includes a plurality of elongate members that each have a waveform shape including a plurality of apexes and a plurality of couplers. The method includes constructing the plant support in a cage configuration by removably coupling together the elongate members by attaching ones of the couplers to the apexes of adjacent ones of the adjacent elongate members to form a substantially cylindrical cage configuration. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       For the purpose of illustrating the disclosure, the drawings show aspects of one or more embodiments of the disclosure. However, it should be understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown in the drawings, wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a side perspective view of an example plant support structure of the present disclosure, shown in an enclosed self-supporting cage configuration arrangement and with a lower and upper module in a stacked configuration; 
         FIG. 2A  is a side view of the plant support structure of  FIG. 1 , with the structure in an open configuration and with certain removable couplers removed; 
         FIG. 2B  is a side view of the plant support structure of  FIG. 1  shown in a wall trellis configuration against a vertical support structure; 
         FIG. 2C  is a perspective view of a spacer for spacing a plant support from a vertical support structure; 
         FIG. 2D  is an exploded view of a wall trellis spacer assembly including the spacer of  FIG. 2C , one of the couplers from the plant support of  FIG. 1 , and a fastener for fastening the coupler and spacer to a vertical support structure; 
         FIG. 3  is a side view of the plant support structure of  FIG. 1  and a side view of an example shorter single module plant support structure; 
         FIG. 4  is a top view of the single module plant support structure of  FIG. 3 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a side view of the single module plant support structure of  FIGS. 3 and 4  in a folded configuration; 
         FIG. 6  is a close-up view of a removable coupler attached to adjacent elongate members of a plant support structure; 
         FIG. 7A  is a perspective view of the coupler of  FIG. 6 ; 
         FIG. 7B  is a top view of the coupler of  FIGS. 6 and 7A ; 
         FIG. 7C  is a side view of the coupler of  FIGS. 6, 7A, and 7B ; 
         FIG. 7D  is a front view of the coupler of  FIGS. 6, 7A, 7B and 7C ; 
         FIG. 8  is a side view of a plant support structure elongate member; 
         FIG. 9  is side views of top and bottom module elongate members; 
         FIG. 10  is a laid flat side view of two coupled elongate members; 
         FIG. 11A  illustrates two removably coupled elongate members for a two-module plant support structure; 
         FIG. 11B  is a larger scale detail view of the coupling interface of the elongate members of  FIG. 11A ; 
         FIG. 12A  illustrates two removably coupled elongate members for a two-module plant support structure; 
         FIG. 12B  is a larger scale detail view of the coupling interface of the elongate members of  FIG. 12A ; 
         FIG. 13  is a side view of an example plant support structure of the present disclosure, shown in a ladder with central column configuration and with a base, middle, and top module in a stacked configuration; 
         FIG. 14  is a larger-scale side perspective view of the plant support of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 15  is a top view of the plant support of  FIGS. 13 and 14 ; 
         FIG. 16A  is a side view of one of the elongate members of the base module of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 16B  is a side view of one of the elongate members of the middle module of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 16C  is a side view of one of the elongate members of the top module of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 17A  is a perspective view of one of the couplers of the plant support structure of  FIG. 13 ; 
         FIG. 17B  is a top view of the coupler of  FIG. 17A ; 
         FIG. 18  is larger scale view of a portion of the plant support structure of  FIG. 13  in a folded laid flat configuration; 
         FIGS. 19A-19D  are front, side, perspective, and bottom views, respectively, of one example of a module coupler made in accordance with the present disclosure; 
         FIG. 20A  shows elongate members and module couplers; 
         FIG. 20B  is a detail view of a portion of  FIG. 20A ; 
         FIG. 20C  is another detail view of a portion of  FIG. 20A ; 
         FIG. 21A  shows a plant support that includes module couplers; 
         FIG. 21B  is a detail view of a portion of  FIG. 21A ; 
         FIG. 22A  shows elongate members and module couplers; and 
         FIG. 22B  is a detail view of a portion of  FIG. 22A . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Aspects of the present disclosure include hinged plant support structures configured to support climbing plants. As described more below, plant support structures of the present disclosure may be formed from a plurality of elongate members having a zig zag or periodic waveform shape configured to be rotatably coupled to adjacent elongate members to form a support structure that in some configurations includes a lattice of cells. The elongate members may be configured, when in use, to act as cantilevered springs that allow a plant to sway in the wind, thereby strengthening the plant. In some examples, the plant supports are selectively configurable between open and closed configurations and have an adjustable size to allow for supporting different-sized plants. The support structures are also configured to easily collapse into a folded configuration for storage. In some examples, the plant supports are configured to be assembled into a ladder with central column configuration. 
       FIG. 1  illustrates one example of a plant support  100  including a base module  102  and a top module  104  slidably coupled together at interface  106 . In the illustrated example, plant support  100  is arranged in a closed configuration, forming a self-supporting substantially cylindrical cage configuration that can be positioned around a plant to support the plant as it grows. Both the base and top modules  102 ,  104  are formed from a plurality of elongate members  108 ,  110 , respectively (only one of each labeled) where at least a portion of each of the elongate members have a zigzag or periodic waveform shape. Adjacent elongate members  108 ,  110  are rotatably coupled at local maxima/minima or apexes  112  (only one labeled) of the elongate members&#39; waveform shape, by couplers  114  (only one labeled). Top ends  116  (only one labeled) of adjacent elongate members  108  are joined in the illustrated embodiment by flexible sleeves  118 . In the illustrated example, flexible sleeves  118  are silicone tubes configured to be bent and slidably disposed over ends  116 . In other examples, support  100  may include rigid sleeves that are bent at a predefined angle for sliding over top ends  116 . Elongate members  110  of base module  102  include a straight bottom section  120  (only one labeled) configured to be inserted into soil to anchor the plant support  100  in the ground. 
     In the illustrated example, elongate members  108 ,  110  are bent wires formed from  6061  aluminum. In other examples, the elongate members can be formed from wires or tubes made from any of a variety of other materials, such as galvanized wire or powder-coated steel wire. In yet other examples, elongate members may be formed from composite or polymer materials. In yet other examples, one or more of the elongate members can be a tube made from any of a variety of materials, including any of the foregoing materials. During use, elongate members  108 ,  110  are configured to act as cantilevered springs, with bottom section  120  fixed in soil and support  100  configured to sway or bend in response to external forces applied to the support, such as from wind. Couplers  114  may be designed and configured to allow for relative rotational and axial movement between the couplers and the elongate members to thereby allow the plant support  100  to resiliently bend along its longitudinal axis in response to external forces.  FIG. 1  shows support  100  on a hard flat surface for illustration purposes. During use, in one example implementation, bottom section  120  is inserted fully or partially into soil. The strength of a plant&#39;s stem structure is increased when the plant is allowed to sway in the wind. Thus, the resilient construction of support  100 , where a plant supported by the structure is allowed to move, increases the strength of the plant. 
       FIG. 2A  shows plant support  100  in an open configuration. As shown in  FIG. 2 , at least a portion of elongate members  108 ,  110  have a zigzag or periodic waveform shape such that when coupled to adjacent elongate members, they form a lattice of cells  202  (only one labeled). In the illustrated example, cells  202  have a substantially hexagonal shape. In the open configuration the hinged connections define a matrix of rows and columns, each cell  202  being surrounded by four hinged connections  204 . In the illustrated example, the elongate members  108 ,  110  include a plurality of substantially straight sections that define the local maxima/minima or apexes  112  and adjacent elongate members form hinged connections at the apexes  112 . Elongate members  108 ,  110  also include transverse sections  113  that extend between the apexes  112  and bends  115  located between the transverse sections and apexes. In other examples, elongate members  108 ,  110  can have other shapes, such as a curved or serpentine shape, or a square wave shape, thereby forming a lattice of cells having a corresponding curved, square, or rectangular shape, respectively. In yet other examples, the elongate members may have a varying waveform shape where one or more of a shape or size of the sequential bends in the elongate members result in a shape that varies along the length of the elongate member. As shown in  FIG. 2 , hinged connections  204  are aligned along substantially parallel longitudinal axes (only two axes, a 1 , a 2  labeled). Adjacent rows of the hinged connections  204  are located in substantially parallel rows (only two rows r 1 , r 2  labeled). The hinged connections  204  in each row are offset, e.g., laterally or circumferentially, from the hinged connections in an adjacent row of connections, in the illustrated example, by half of a width w, of the cells  202 . Hinged connections  204  in adjacent longitudinal axes, a, are also offset in an axial direction by a distance approximately equal to half of a height, h, of the cells. Cells  202  are configured to allow for easy access to plants supported by support  100  such that a gardener can easily reach in to adjust a position of the plant and to harvest fruit from the plant. 
     As described more below, couplers  114  are designed to be easily and quickly attached and removed from the elongate members  108 ,  110 , such that support  100  can be transitioned from the closed configuration shown in  FIG. 1  to the open configuration shown in  FIG. 2A . In one example method of use, plant support  100  can be positioned around an existing plant and then closed to form a self-supporting structure for supporting the plant. Support  100  also has an adjustable and expandable configuration, where the number of elongate members  108 ,  110  can be increased or decreased as needed, to form substantially cylindrical support structures having a larger or smaller circumference and diameter for surrounding larger or smaller circumference and diameter plants. 
     As shown in  FIGS. 2A and 2B , support  100  can also be transitioned into a wall trellis configuration, where the number of elongate members  108 ,  110  can be increased or decreased to lengthen or shorten the length of the wall trellis.  FIG. 2B  shows support  100  in a wall trellis configuration and positioned against a wall  206 . Apexes  112  and couplers  114  located along longitudinal axes, a, can be alternatingly positioned against or spaced from the wall  206  to form a three-dimensional wall trellis structure that provides a spacing between climbing plants and the wall. In the example shown in  FIG. 2B , apexes  112  and couplers  114  located along odd numbered axes a 1 , a 3 , a 5 , and a 7  are positioned against wall  206  and apexes and couplers located along even numbered axes a 2 , a 4 , and a 6  are spaced from the wall. The spacing of apexes  112  and couplers  114  from wall  206  can be selectively configured by adjusting a lateral distance, D (only one labeled), between the apexes and couplers in contact with the wall. 
       FIGS. 2C  illustrates a spacer  210  that may be used to provide a spacing between support  100  and wall  206  or other vertical support structure, for example, when support  100  is in the wall trellis configuration shown in  FIG. 2B . Spacer  210  includes a first end  212  configured to be positioned against ones of couplers  114  and a second end  214  configured to be positioned against a vertical support structure, such as wall  206 . First and second ends  212 ,  214  are spaced by a length, L 1 , of the spacer to thereby provide a spacing of the length, L 1 , between the wall and the support structure. In the illustrated example, spacer  210  includes an opening  216  in first end  212  that, as shown in  FIG. 2D , is designed and configured to receive a fastener  220  for attaching the spacer  210  and support  100  to a vertical support structure.  FIG. 2D  is an exploded view of a wall trellis spacer assembly  218  that includes fastener  220 , one of couplers  114  and spacer  210 . In the illustrated example, fastener  220  is a screw having a length L 2  that is greater than length L 1  of spacer  210  and that is configured to be positioned through opening  216  in the spacer, and opening  222  in coupler (see also  FIG. 7D ) and extend through an interior volume defined by the spacer and be secured to wall  206 . Referring again to  FIG. 2B , ones of spacers  210  can be positioned between one or more of couplers  114  located along the odd-numbered axes, a, that are positioned against wall  206  to thereby attach the wall trellis to the wall and also provide a spacing between support  100  and the wall to promote air flow between a climbing plant and the wall. One of fasteners  220  can be used to secure each coupler  114  and spacer  210  to the wall. In other examples, spacers  210  can be omitted and ones of couplers  114  can be directly attached to wall  206  by positioning fasteners  220  through openings  222  and into the wall. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates plant support  100  in the cage configuration, which includes base module  102  and top module  104  in a stacked configuration as described above, and also illustrates a single module plant support  300  in a cage configuration, having a substantially similar construction as support  100 . Support  300  includes a plurality of elongate members  308  having a similar construction as elongate members  108 ,  110 , including a periodic waveform shape defining a plurality of apexes  312  configured to be coupled to the apexes of adjacent elongate members  308  by couplers  114  to form hinged connections  304  and a lattice of cells  302 . Similar to plant support  100 , top ends  316  (only one labeled) of adjacent elongate members  308  are joined in the illustrated embodiment by flexible sleeves  118 . A straight bottom section  320  (only one labeled) is configured to be inserted into soil to anchor the plant support  300  in the ground. As with support  100 , elongate members  308  are configured to act as cantilevered springs, with bottom section  320  configured to be fixed in soil and support  300  configured to sway or bend in response to external forces applied to the support, such as from wind. In other examples, plant supports made in accordance with the present disclosure can be formed from any number of stacked modules. For example, plant support  100  may be extended by adding another module of elongate members between base and top modules  102 ,  104 .  FIG. 4  is a top perspective view of plant support  300  in the cage configuration, illustrating the substantially cylindrical shape of the support in the cage configuration. 
       FIG. 5  shows plant support  300  in a folded laid flat configuration. In the illustrated example, to transition plant support  300  from the self-supporting cage configuration shown in  FIGS. 3 and 4  to the folded configuration shown in  FIG. 5 , couplers  114  located along one of the longitudinal axes a_n ( FIG. 1 ) joining two adjacent elongate members may be removed. In the illustrated example, elongate members  308  each have four apexes  312   a - 312   d , with only two apexes being coupled to a given adjacent elongate member, such that only two couplers  114  must be removed to transition the support to a folded configuration ( FIG. 5  illustrates the two removed couplers  114  at the bottom of the figure). Each of the flexible sleeves  118  may also be removed, as illustrated in  FIG. 5 , however, depending on the flexibility of the sleeves, this can be optional. After removing the two couplers  114 , each of the elongate members can be rotated relative to adjacent members at the hinged connections formed by the remaining couplers  114  to collapse the support structure into the folded configuration shown in  FIG. 5 . Support structure  100  ( FIG. 1 ) can similarly be easily and quickly transitioned to a folded configuration. In one example, steps for transitioning support structure  100  to a folded configuration include separating the base module  102  and the top module  104 , removing one axial column of couplers  114  from each of the base and top modules, and then collapsing each of the modules into a folded configuration similar to the folded configuration shown in  FIG. 5 . 
       FIG. 6  illustrates a close-up view of one of couplers  114  coupled to one of apexes  312  of two adjacent elongate members  308 .  FIGS. 7A-7D  further illustrate one of couplers  114 . As best seen in  FIG. 7A , coupler  114  includes two pairs  702 ,  704  of clips  706 A-D having an open cross section defining openings  708 . In the illustrated example, coupler  114  is a unitary member, with the two pairs  702 ,  704  of clips  706  extending from a central member  710  and facing opposite directions. Coupler  114  has a first end  712  and a second end  714 , a first side  716  and a second opposing side  718 , with the pairs  702 ,  704  being positioned in an opposing relationship with openings  708  of one pair of clips facing first side  716  and the openings of the second pair of clips facing second side  718 . Each of clips  706  have an open cross section having a complementary shape to a cross-sectional shape of the elongate members and are formed from a resilient material, for example, nylon, e.g., nylon  6 . In other examples, couplers  114  can be formed from any of a variety of other materials, such as polypropylene, ABS, polycarbonate, aluminum and/or composite materials. Each of clips  706  define an inner surface  720  (only one labeled) that has a complementary shape to an outer shape of elongate members  108 ,  110 , or  308 , in the illustrated example a circular shape. Clips  706  are sized to form an interference fit with the elongate members. The open cross sectional shape of clips  706  defines an opening having a width, w, ( FIG. 7B ). In the illustrated example, the width, w, of each clip  706  is sized to be less than an outer diameter of the elongate members such that the clip  706  resiliently expands when pressed over the elongate member and then resiliently clips into place around the elongate member. The pairs of clips  706  are designed and configured to position two elongate members in a parallel relationship with the apexes of the two elongate members rotatably disposed along parallel coupler axes CA_ 1  and CA_ 2 . As described above in connection with  FIGS. 2A-2D , coupler  114  also includes an opening  222  that extends through a thickness of the coupler between the first and second sides  716 ,  718 , for receiving a fastener, such as fastener  220  ( FIG. 2D ) for securing the coupler to a vertical support structure, such as when the plant support is being used as a wall trellis. 
     Referring again to  FIG. 6 , coupler  114  can be selectively removeably attached from elongate members  308  by rotating the coupler about transverse axis, t, which is substantially perpendicular to central longitudinal axis,  1  and coupler axes CA_ 1  and CA_ 2 . Once attached, coupler  114  forms a hinged connection  304  between elongate members  308 , allowing the elongate members to rotate relative to each other. Couplers  114  enable the coupling of elongate members to form a plant support structure without the need for welded connections, which increases the durability and weather resistance of the structure and makes the structure more flexible to allow for swaying as described herein. 
       FIGS. 8-10  further illustrate elongate members  308 ,  108 , and  110 , with  FIG. 10  providing dimensions (shown in inches) for one example. In one example, the illustrated dimensions of the portion of elongate members  108  and  110  that form a periodic waveform shape may be the same as the dimensions of the periodic waveform shape of elongate member  308 . For example, both the elongate members of support  100  and support  300  define a lattice of cells  202 ,  302  having a substantially hexagonal shape that have a width that is roughly twice a height of the cells. As described above, in other examples, the elongate members can define any number of periodic shapes. As shown in  FIG. 8 , elongate members  308  include a plurality of bends  802  that define the plurality of apexes  112 , the plurality of apexes including first apexes  112   a  (only one labeled) located in a first plane (e.g., the plane of the page in the illustrated example) along a first axis, a, and second apexes  112   b  (only one labeled) located in the first plane and along a second axis, b, that is substantially parallel to the first axis, a, the first and second apexes alternating along a length of the elongate member. As shown in  FIGS. 9 and 10 , elongate members  108  and  110  are similarly configured with a plurality of bends that define the plurality of apexes  112 , the plurality of apexes including first apexes located in a first plane along a first axis and second apexes located in the first plane and along a second axis that is substantially parallel to the first axis the first and second apexes alternating along a length of the elongate member. 
       FIGS. 11 and 12  illustrate two example embodiments of interface  106  (see also  FIG. 1 ) of elongate members  108  and  110 . As shown in  FIG. 11 , in one example, at least a portion of elongate members  108  and  110  may be formed from tubes and a reduced diameter member  1102 , such as a wire, may be fixed to one of the elongate members, e.g.,  108  and be configured to be slidably inserted into a cylindrical recess  1104  defined by a top end  1106  of elongate member  110 . In the example shown in  FIG. 12  a tube section  1202  may be fixed, for example, by welding, to one of the elongate members, e.g.,  108  and configured to be slidably disposed over the other elongate member, e.g.  110 . 
       FIGS. 13-15  illustrate another example of a plant support  1300  made in accordance with the present disclosure, with  FIG. 13  showing a side view,  FIG. 14  showing a larger-scale side perspective view, and  FIG. 15  showing a top view. Support  1300  has a similar construction to support  100  and includes a plurality of elongate members  1302   a ,  1302   b ,  1302   c  (only one of each labeled), that have a similar construction to elongate members  108 ,  110 . Elongate members  1302  have a zigzag or periodic waveform shape that define local maxima and minima in the form of first apexes  1304   a  and second apexes  1304   b  (see  FIG. 14 ). Adjacent elongate members are rotatably coupled at first apexes  1304   a  ( FIG. 14 ) (only one labeled) of the elongate members&#39; waveform shape, by couplers  1306  (only one labeled). As best shown in  FIGS. 14 and 15 , support  1300  has a ladder configuration that includes a central column  1308  extending along a central longitudinal axis al. As best seen in  FIG. 15 , the plurality of elongate members  1302  (three in the illustrated example) extend radially from the central column  1308 . Referring again to  FIG. 13 , in the illustrated example, plant support  1300  includes a base module  1310 , middle module  1312 , and top module  1314  connected at interfaces  1316  and  1318  in a stacked configuration. Interfaces  1316 ,  1318  can have a similar configuration to interfaces  106  ( FIGS. 1, 11, and 12 ) to allow for the modules to be slidably stacked. In the illustrated example, middle module  1312  may be removed and top module can be directly stacked on base module  1310  to provide a shorter-height support for shorter plants. 
     Elongate members  1302   a  of base module  1310  include an extended straight portion  1320  configured to be inserted into soil to anchor the plant support  1300  in the ground. Elongate members  1302  can be formed from similar materials as elongate members  108 ,  110 , e.g., wire or tubing, and aluminium or steel, etc. as described above in connection with support  100  ( FIG. 1 ). 
     Unlike support  100 , where ones of apexes  112  in each row are coupled to an apex of an adjacent elongate member, in support  1300 , alternating rows of apexes  1304  are rotatably coupled to apexes of adjacent elongate members, defining a plurality of open volumes  1330  (only one labeled). Elongate members  1302  include additional support members  1332  that are positioned between second apexes  1304   b , resulting in a more rigid structure as compared to elongate members  108 ,  110 .  FIGS. 16A-16C  show side views of one of elongate members  1302   a ,  1302   b , and  1302   c , respectively. As shown in  FIG. 16A , elongate member  1302   a , which is designed and configured for forming base module  1310 , includes an extended straight portion  1320  for insertion in soil, a plurality of bends  1602  that result in a waveform shape that includes two of first apexes  1304   a  and one second apex  1304   b , and four transverse sections  1603  extending between the apexes  1304 . Elongate member  1302   a  also includes a straight section  1604  configured to be inserted into a straight tube section  1606  of elongate member  1302   b  ( FIG. 16B ). Elongate member  1302   a  also includes two support members  1332  welded proximate bends  1602  on opposing sides of second apex  1304   b . In the illustrated example, base module  1310  can be constructed by coupling three of elongate members  1302   a  together at first apexes  1304   a  using two couplers  1306 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 16B , elongate member  1302   b , which is designed and configured for forming middle module  1312 , includes straight tube section  1606  configured to receive straight section  1604  of elongate member  1302   a , a plurality of bends  1602  (only one labeled) that result in a waveform shape that includes two of first apexes  1304   a  and one second apex  1304   b , and four transverse sections  1603  extending between the apexes  1304 . Elongate member  1302   b  also includes a straight section  1608  configured to be inserted into a straight tube section  1610  of elongate member  1302   c  ( FIG. 16C ). Elongate member  1302   b  also includes two support members  1332  welded on opposing sides of second apex  1304   b . In the illustrated example, middle module  1312  can be constructed by coupling three of elongate members  1302   b  together at first apexes  1304   a  using two couplers  1306 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 16C , elongate member  1302   c , which is designed and configured for forming top module module  1312 , includes straight tube section  1610  configured to receive straight section  1608  of elongate member  1302   b , a plurality of bends  1602  (only one labeled) that result in a waveform shape that includes two of first apexes  1304   a  and one second apex  1304   b , and four transverse sections  1603  extending between the apexes  1304 . Elongate member  1302   c  also includes two support members  1332  welded on opposing sides of second apex  1304   b . In the illustrated example, top module  1314  can be constructed by coupling three of elongate members  1302   c  together at first apexes  1304   a  using two couplers  1306 . 
       FIGS. 17A and 17B  illustrate coupler  1306 , with  FIG. 17A  showing a perspective view and  FIG. 17B  showing a top view. Coupler  1306  has a similar design to coupler  114  ( FIGS. 7A-7D ) in that coupler  1306  includes clips  1702   a - 1702   c  that each include openings  1704   a - 1704   c  and an open cross section having a complementary shape to a cross-sectional shape of elongate members  1302  and are formed from any of the resilient materials described above in connection with couplers  114 , such as nylon, polypropylene, ABS, polycarbonate, aluminum and/or composite materials. Each of clips  1702  define an inner surface  1706  (only one labeled) that has a complementary shape to an outer shape of elongate members  1302 , in the illustrated example a circular shape. Clips  1702  are sized to form an interference fit with the elongate members. The open cross sectional shape of clips  1702  defines an opening having a width, w, (only one labeled in  FIG. 17B ). In the illustrated example, the width, w, of each clip  1704  is sized to be less than an outer diameter of the elongate members such that the clip  1704  resiliently expands when pressed over the elongate member and then resiliently clips into place around the elongate member. 
     Coupler  1306  includes three clips  1702  positioned in a parallel relationship and equally spaced circumferentially around a central longitudinal axis of the coupler and configured to couple to the apexes  1304  of three elongate members  1302  so that the apexes, e.g., first apexes  1304   a , of the elongate members are positioned in a parallel relationship and equally spaced circumferentially as shown in  FIG. 14 . Couplers  1306  are designed and configured to be quickly and easily coupled and decoupled from elongate members  1302  so that a plant support such as support  1300  can be quickly and easily constructed and deconstructed. 
       FIG. 18  is a larger-scale view of a portion of support  1300  shown in a folded configuration. Couplers  1306  are configured to allow relative rotational movement between the elongate members  1302  and the couplers so that support  1300  can be easily transitioned from the expanded configuration shown in  FIG. 13  to the folded configuration shown in  FIG. 18  without needing to remove any of the couplers  1306  by simply rotating and folding the elongate members together. As shown in  FIG. 18 , in the folded configuration, the footprint or two-dimensional area and the space envelope or three-dimensional area taken up by the entire assembled support is substantially the same or similar to the footprint and space envelope of one of the elongate members  1302 . Support  1300  can, therefore, be quickly and easily stored and deployed and takes up minimal space during storage. 
       FIGS. 19A-19D  illustrate front, side, perspective, and bottom views, respectively, of one example of a module coupler  1900  made in accordance with the present disclosure. Module coupler  1900  is configured to couple together adjacent modules of plant supports of the present disclosure, such as modules  102  and  104  ( FIG. 1 ), modules  1310  and  1312 , or modules  1312  and  1314  ( FIG. 13 ). As described above, plant supports of the present disclosure may include a plurality of modules that can be stacked together to increase a height of the support structure. In some examples, the modules are configured to be slidably coupled together, which can facilitate ease of assembly and disassembly of the modules. Module coupler  900  is configured to prevent unwanted or inadvertent separation of adjacent modules, for example, when moving or adjusting the support structure, or due to windy conditions, which may cause the support structure to sway in the wind to the point of adjacent modules becoming decoupled. 
     Module coupler  1900  includes a first clip  1902  configured to be removably and rotatably coupled to transverse section  113  ( FIG. 1 ) or  1603  ( FIGS. 16A-16C ) and a second clip  1904  configured to be removably and rotatably coupled to tube sections  1202  ( FIGS. 12A, 12B ) or  1606  or  1610  ( FIGS. 16B, 16C ). Each of clips  1902 ,  1904  have a corresponding opening  1906 ,  1908  sized to be pressed over and resiliently clipped to a portion of an elongate member in a similar fashion to clips  706  of coupler  114  (FIGS.  7 A 7 D) and clips  1702  of coupler  1306  ( FIGS. 17A and 17B ). Module coupler  1900  may be made from any of the materials described above in connection with couplers  114  and  1306 . Module coupler  1900  is a unitary member that includes a body  1910  extending between clips  1902  and  1904 , the body having a first end  1912  and a second end  1914 , a first side  1916  and a second opposing side  1916 . As shown in  FIGS. 19A-19D , opening  1908  is selectively located on one of sides  1914 / 1916 , so that first clip  1902  can be coupled to a transverse section of an elongate member and then coupler  1900  can be rotated about the transverse section to couple second clip  1904  to a portion of an elongate member apex, such as tube sections  1202  (FIGS.  12 A,  12 B) or  1606  or  1610  ( FIGS. 16B, 16C ). Such a configuration facilitates ease of use by allowing coupler  1900  to remain coupled to a transverse section while selectively coupling or decoupling second clip  1904  from the apex of an adjacent plant support module. 
       FIGS. 20A-20C  show module coupler  900  in use with elongate members  108  and  110  of plant support  100  for coupling base module  102  and top module  104 . Module coupler  1900  is shown coupled to tube section  1202  of elongate member  108  and transverse section  113  of elongate member  110  to prevent the elongate members  108 ,  110  from sliding apart and becoming decoupled, for example, in heavy winds. In use, first clip  1902  can be coupled to transverse section  113  and then the coupler can be rotated about the transverse section in a first rotational direction to engage and couple second clip  1904  to tube section  1202 . For disassembly, module coupler  1900  can be rotated about transverse section  113  in a second rotational direction opposite from the first rotational direction to decouple second clip  1904  from tube section  1202 . 
       FIGS. 21A and 21B  show a plurality of the module couplers  900  in use with a fully assembled plant support  100 , with one module coupler used to couple each pair of elongate members  108 ,  110 . In other examples, less couplers  1900  may be used for coupling modules  102  and  104 , for example, two disposed on opposing sides of support  100 , or more as needed.  FIGS. 22A and 22B  show module coupler  900  in use with elongate members  1302   a  and  1302   c  of plant support  1300  for coupling base module  1310  and top module  1314 . Module coupler  1900  is shown coupled to tube section  1610  of elongate member  1302   c  and transverse section  1603 d of elongate member  1302   a  to prevent the elongate members from sliding apart and becoming decoupled, for example, in heavy winds. 
     Components of the various examples disclosed herein may be modified and combined any a variety of ways. For example, elongate members  108 ,  110 , and  308  ( FIGS. 1-3 ) which are shown assembled in a cage configuration ( FIGS. 1 and 3 ) and wall trellis configuration ( FIG. 2 ) may be used to form a plant support in the form of a ladder with central column configuration as shown in  FIG. 13  by replacing couplers  114  with couplers  1306  and attaching the elongate members  108 ,  110 , or  308  to the couplers  1306  in the manner shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14 . Further, elongate members  108 ,  110 , and  308  may be modified to include additional support members extending between apexes  112  in a similar manner to supports  1332  shown in  FIGS. 13 and 14  to increase the rigidity of the elongate members. Similarly, elongate members  1302  from support  1300  may be assembled into a cage configuration or wall trellis configuration in a similar manner to the examples shown in  FIGS. 1-3  by coupling together the elongate members  1302  in the manner shown in  FIGS. 1-3 . In some examples, couplers  1306  may be used in place of couplers  114  to construct a cage or wall trellis by coupling elongate members to only two of the three clips 1702  and leaving one of the clips open and unused. In some examples, couplers  1306  can be modified to couple to spacers  210  ( FIGS. 2C, 2D ), for example, by forming a hole through the coupler  1306  that is perpendicular to the central longitudinal axis of the coupler that is configured to receive a fastener, such as fastener  220 . In other examples, spacers  210  may be modified to couple to couplers  1306 , such as by including an additional opening that extends through the sides of the spacer, for example, in a direction substantially perpendicular to a central axis of opening  216 , and that is configured to receive a securing member, such as a zip tie for securing coupler  1306  or elongate member to the spacer  210 . Thus, coupler  1306  can be used to form a cage ( FIG. 1 ) wall trellis ( FIG. 2B ) or ladder with central column ( FIG. 13 ) with elongate members  108 ,  110 ,  308  or  1302 . 
     The foregoing has been a detailed description of illustrative embodiments of the disclosure. It is noted that in the present specification and claims appended hereto, conjunctive language such as is used in the phrases “at least one of X, Y and Z” and “one or more of X, Y, and Z,” unless specifically stated or indicated otherwise, shall be taken to mean that each item in the conjunctive list can be present in any number exclusive of every other item in the list or in any number in combination with any or all other item(s) in the conjunctive list, each of which may also be present in any number. Applying this general rule, the conjunctive phrases in the foregoing examples in which the conjunctive list consists of X, Y, and Z shall each encompass: one or more of X; one or more of Y; one or more of Z; one or more of X and one or more of Y; one or more of Y and one or more of Z; one or more of X and one or more of Z; and one or more of X, one or more of Y and one or more of Z. 
     Various modifications and additions can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this disclosure. Features of each of the various embodiments described above may be combined with features of other described embodiments as appropriate in order to provide a multiplicity of feature combinations in associated new embodiments. Furthermore, while the foregoing describes a number of separate embodiments, what has been described herein is merely illustrative of the application of the principles of the present disclosure. Additionally, although particular methods herein may be illustrated and/or described as being performed in a specific order, the ordering is highly variable within ordinary skill to achieve aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, this description is meant to be taken only by way of example, and not to otherwise limit the scope of this disclosure. It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, omissions and additions may be made to that which is specifically disclosed herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.