4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF INVENTION
General: The banana crop is not a tree but a high herb that can attain up to 15 metres of height. It is a perennial plant that replaces itself. The time between planting a banana plant and the harvest of the banana bunch goes from 9 to 12 months. Bananas are available all year long. Bananas are the main fruit in international trade and the most popular one in the world. In terms of volume they are the most exported fruit, while they rank second after citrus fruit in terms of value. Banana is a very delicate commodity on economic, social, environmental and political grounds. Bananas are harvested green and hard, before they mature. Two types of workers are required to harvest bananas: a "cutter" and a "backer". The cutter cuts down the plant with his machete while the backer waits for the cut stem to settle on a thick cushion on his shoulder. The backer carries the banana fruit bunch to the packing shed or market for sale. It can also be transported in carts. In the packing shed itself or middle-man's godown, the bananas are removed by sickle and hand by skilled worker (one or two persons), washed in water and dipped in plant growth regulator before sending to banana ripening rooms, where the optimum temperature is -20°C (59-68°F). Normally bananas are ripened by using ethylene gas. Major advances in post-harvest handling technology has improved tool for separating banana-comb/hand from banana bunch. Traditionally, using knife or sickle that required especially skilled persons to perform the activity separates it. It requires more energy and little negligence may damage other banana comb/ fingers or even human injuries may occur. Consumers demand high quality of the food they consume and they are interested in the taste, appearance or shape of bananas, fancy and smooth cut of banana-comb, which will attract attention of consumer and they feel good.
The quality of the bananas would be determined by size (length of fingers and thickness), smoothness of banana-comb cut, evenness of ripening, absence of blemishes and defects and the arrangement of the clusters. Quality standards may vary in the different markets. Minimum quality requirements for bananas are set by Codex Alimentarius. according to which there are three classes of bananas: Extra Class Bananas, Class 1 Bananas and Class 11. Bananas are mainly consumed as a fresh fruit.
CIPHET, Ludhiana has attempted to solve and replace the traditionally used knife or sickle by "CIPHET Manual Banana-Comb / Hand Cutter" for separating banana-comb / hand

from banana bunch by a simple tool suited to banana bunch stem geometry and putting little pressure or twisting force from top that is enough for cutting and separating banana-comb/hand. "CIPHET Banana-Comb / Hand Cutter" maintains smooth cutting curve of banana-comb/hand, and there is less or no finger damage during cutting. Single person can perform cutting activity with less stress as compared to the traditional method of cutting. Banana-comb/hand cutter can be easily hand operated and it needs around 20 seconds to cut one bunch of around 8 to 9 banana-combs/hands. The banana-comb/hands arrangement on banana bunch is in such a way that the stem diameter of 360° has 3 banana-combs/hands spaced 120° apart along the length of the stem. The gap between banana-combs is also varying along the length of the stem. As such no data is available regarding percentage damage of banana-bunch, banana-comb/hand or banana-fingers during cutting by presently used sickles by traders or farmers. During field visits, where cutting is done, it was observed that 5 to 8 banana-fingers get damaged or injured during cutting of banana-combs from bunches having about 150 to 250 banana fingers. It works out to be a loss of about 2 to 6 % of the fruits. Adopting "CIPHET Manual Banana-Comb/ Hand Cutter" for separating banana-combs / hands from banana bunch can save it.
Discloser of the Invention:
A banana-comb/hand cutter has been developed to separate banana-combs/hands from banana bunch stem. Its details are presented in Fig. 1. Four photograph of manual banana-comb/hand cutter are a) curved serrated blade b) non-serrated plain blade c) curved non-serrated blade and d) cutting operation by CIPHET manual banana-comb/hand cutter. The cutting blade of the cutter is attached to the adjustable rod length (150 mm or so). Handle length can be varied as per requirement to hold it firmly (optimum is about 100-120 mm long), which provides easy grip during cutting. Banana-comb/hand cutter can be used for separating banana-comb from banana bunch. A Banana-comb/hand cutter having curved serrated / non-serrated sharpened blade with 25-50 mm width, 50-150 mm length and 30-70 mm blade radii attached to adjustable rod length for ease of operation. Improved handle support of banana-comb/hand cutter having aligning forearm reduces fatigue during cutting operation.
The blades were made curved / semi-circular to suit the banana bunch stem geometry from where the stem and banana-combs/hands are to be separated using banana-comb/hand cutter. This helped in easy cutting and separation of banana-comb/hand in a single cut and single push / press or twist. The curvature of the blade is important and it should be appropriate to the natural geometry of the stem, to avoid damage to the bananas.

NOVELTY AND UTILITY:
Banana-combs/hands are separated from main bunch by using sickles. Cutting by sickles damages 2-8 % bananas in each bunch. Till date not a single attempt has been made to solve this problem except traditional sickles. Some research efforts have been made to develop knife/ blades or machines for separating individual banana from banana-combs, banana peeling, banana plant destroying, skinning banana etc. but not to separate the banana-comb/hand from banana bunch. A hand tool (banana-comb/hand cutter) was developed to improve the operation of cutting and separating the banana-combs/hands from banana bunches. The banana-comb/hand cutter has three main parts: handle, rod and blade. The sharpened blade (serrated / non-serrated) of the cutter was made curved according to the geometry of the portion to be cut. Sharpened serrated / non-serrated blade is connected to the handle with a rod having sufficient length (Fig 1). The developed hand tool was extensively tested in the laboratory and its performance was observed to be satisfactory. The cutting was faster than the traditional sickle method and there was no mechanical injury to the banana fingers. The cutting of banana combs/hands was done in a single stroke with uniform cut, giving improved appearance to banana combs/hands. Thus, production and popularisation of this hand tool will benefit the farmers and traders of banana.
Prior Art
The world's first mechanical banana harvester came about after a forum was held by the Queens Land Department of Primary Industries to find a solution into many problems associated with manual harvesting. Injuries to pickers' backs and legs, from carrying bunches weighing up to 70 kilograms, was the most common problem. Severe cuts sustained from knives and leptospirosis, a potentially fatal virus caught from rat infestation in the fruit being other major concerns.
Objectives of the Invention:
The objectives of the present invention of tool are to separate banana-combs/hands from banana bunch stem using developed banana-comb/hand cutter and reduce post harvest losses, human drudgery and improve the cutting operation.

References
A Method of, and A Binding for, Packaging Bananas, Publication number: W02004106166, Publication date: 2004-12-09, Inventor: Borsato Robert (AU), Applicant: Envirotrend Pvt Ltd (AU); Borsato Robert (AU); Moriconi Giovanni (AU), International: B65B13/02; B65B25/04; B65D63/10; B65D85/34; B65B13/00; B65B25/02; B65D63/10; B65D85/34; (IPC1-7): B65B25/04; A01D59/02; B65B13/02; B65B27/00; B65B27/10; B65D63/10; B65D71/00; B65D71/50; B65D81/24, European: B65B13/02; B65B25/04; B65D63/10A, Application number: WO2004AU00734 20040602, Priority number(s): AU20030902756 20030603
Green Banana/Plantain Peeler. Publication number: US5497552, Publication date: 1996-03-12 Inventor: Rodriguez Edwin (US); Spector George (US), Applicant: Classification: international: A47J17/02; A47J17/00; (IPC1-7): A47J17/02, European: A47J17/02, Application number: US19950374342 19950117, Priority number(s): US19950374342 19950117
Green Banana/Plantain Safety Peeler. Publication number: US2003070298, Publication date: 2003-04-17, Inventor: Ruiz Lenscott F (US), Applicant: Classification: international: A47J17/02; B26B1/08; A47J17/00; B26B1/00; (IPC1-7): A47J17/02; B26B1/08; B26B11/00, European: A47J17/02; B26B1/08, Application number: US20010975536 20011011, Priority number(s): US20010975536 20011011
Machine For Skinning Bananas. Publication number: GB977832, Publication date: 1964-12-16 Inventor: Halliwell James Arthur, Applicant: VICKERS ARMSTRONGS LTD, Classification: international: A23N7/00; A23N7/00; European: A23N7/00, Application number: GB19620032889 19620827, Priority number(s): GB19620032889 19620827
Method for Separating Banana Clusters in to Separate Bananas, Publication number: US2007095771, Publication date: 2007-05-03, Inventor: Fernandez Raul (US); Marquez Gonzalo (US); Forsyth Kevin (US); Vasquez Julio (US); Bakhrakh Mark (Ru); Buch Yury (Ru); Klimin Sergey (Ru); Vasiliev Vladimir (Ru); Feigenson Oleg (Ru); Ilyin Ilya (Ru); Yaess Yuriy (Ru), Classification: international: A47F5/14; A47F5/14; European:A23N15/00; B26D1/44; B26D7/06D, Application number: US20060427166 20060628, Priority number(s): US20060427166 20060628; US20050695371P 20050630
Method of Producing a Container of Bananas, and Method of Transferring Bananas. Publication number: WO9711885, Publication date: 1997-04-03, Inventor: Rodriguez Francisco; Howell Elmer; Sanabria Franklin; Fernandez Raul Applicant: Chiquita Brands INC (US), linternational: B65B25/04; B65D77/06; B65D81/26; B65D85/34; B65B25/02; B65D77/06; B65D81/26; B65D85/34; (IPC1-7): B65B25/04; B65D77/06; B65D81/26, European: B65B25/04D; B65D77/06B; B65D81/26D, Application number: W01996US15390 19960926, Priority number(s): US19950534498 19950927.
Object e.g. Banana Cluster, Maintaining Device, has Locking Finger Lowered Under Weight of Banana Cluster, to Drive Movable Jaw Which Grips the Rod of Cluster to Assure Locking Whose Force is Proportional to Weight of Cluster, Publication number: FR2867767, Publication date: 2005-09-23, Inventor: Ferret Jean Jacques; Momcilovic Jean Pierre, Applicant: Ferret Jean Jacques (FR); Momcilovic Jean Pierre (FR), International: B65G17/20; B66C1/44; B65G17/20; B66C1/42; (IPC1-7): B66C1/44; B65G17/20, European: Application number: FR20040002772 20040316, Priority number(s): FR20040002772 20040316

5. CLAIMS
We claim: (About the technology) "MANUAL BANANA-COMB / HAND CUTTER" Is unique in its kind and has potential in banana growing areas for separating banana-bomb from banana bunch without damaging the fingers. Specific claims as follows:
1. A Banana-Comb/Hand Cutter for separating banana-comb from banana bunch
2. A Banana-Comb/Hand Cutter having curved serrated / non-serrated sharpened blade
3. A Banana-Comb/Hand Cutter with adjustable rod length for ease of operation
4. A Banana-Comb/Hand Cutter according to claim 1 and 2 with blade width of 25-50 mm.
5. A Banana-Comb/Hand Cutter according to claim 2 with blade length of 50-150 mm.
6. A Banana-Comb/Hand Cutter according to claim 2 with blade radii of 30-70 mm.
7. A Banana-Comb/Hand Cutter according to claim 1 & 2, with improved handle having
support for aligning forearm, to reduce fatigue.