Is the Chinabest cargo winch patented?

Yes. The winches are protected by U.S. Patent No. 11,603,029, 'Winch for Securing a Load', granted 14 March 2023 with 17 claims. The patent covers the winch itself, not the operating handle or ratchet wrench.

What exactly does the patent cover?

The clutch assembly between the drum and the worm gear. It is biasable between two configurations: one where the gear is locked to the drum so the worm drives it, and one where the drum rotates freely relative to the gear. That second configuration is what allows strap to be paid in or out by hand rather than through the 22:1 gear reduction.

When does the patent expire?

The application was filed 20 April 2021, so the standard 20-year term runs to April 2041, extended by 32 days of patent term adjustment under 35 U.S.C. 154(b).

Are the winch handle and ratchet wrench patented?

No. All 17 claims are directed to the winch. The operating tools are separate articles and are not covered, so we do not mark them as patented.

Quality and Patents

The two-stage clutch that distinguishes these winches from a conventional bar-tensioned winch is protected by a granted US patent.

U.S. Patent No. 11,603,029

Patent number	US 11,603,029 B2
Title	Winch for Securing a Load
Granted	14 March 2023
Filed	20 April 2021 (application 17/235,689)
Inventor	ZiCheng Zhu
Claims	17
Jurisdiction	United States

The full text and drawings are public: read US 11,603,029 B2.

What the patent protects

Both independent claims describe a winch with a mounting bracket, a drum that pays strap in and out, a worm meshing with a gear, and — the distinguishing element — a clutch assembly between the drum and the gear.

That clutch is biasable between two configurations. In the first, locking pins extend from the drum into the inner surface of the gear, fixing the two together so rotation of the worm drives the drum. In the second, the pins retract flush with the drum surface and the drum turns freely relative to the gear.

The second configuration is the practical point. As the patent puts it, the operator can “quickly pay in or pay out strap from the system without the tedious rotation of the worm gear and its associated gear ratio.” A single-mode 22:1 gearbox would make taking up slack unbearably slow; the clutch is what makes a high reduction ratio usable in the field.

The mechanism is described in operator terms on operating instructions — the big handwheel is the free-spool stage, the small handwheel actuates the clutch.

Which products are covered

All 17 claims recite “a winch for securing a load to a vehicle with a strap”. The patent therefore covers the winches:

It does not cover the operating tools. The winch handle and ratchet wrench are separate articles, outside the claims, and we do not mark them as patented.

What we do not claim

Being deliberate about this, because specification packages get audited:

The patent is US-only. We make no claim of protection in other jurisdictions on this page.
A patent is not a safety certification. It establishes that the mechanism is novel, not that it is approved by any authority. For how rated capacity feeds a securement calculation, see DOT 49 CFR 393.
Rated capacity stands on its own. The WLL 6,600 lb (3,000 kg) rating is a load rating, unrelated to patent status.

Common questions

Is the Chinabest cargo winch patented?: Yes. The winches are protected by U.S. Patent No. 11,603,029, 'Winch for Securing a Load', granted 14 March 2023 with 17 claims. The patent covers the winch itself, not the operating handle or ratchet wrench.
What exactly does the patent cover?: The clutch assembly between the drum and the worm gear. It is biasable between two configurations: one where the gear is locked to the drum so the worm drives it, and one where the drum rotates freely relative to the gear. That second configuration is what allows strap to be paid in or out by hand rather than through the 22:1 gear reduction.
When does the patent expire?: The application was filed 20 April 2021, so the standard 20-year term runs to April 2041, extended by 32 days of patent term adjustment under 35 U.S.C. 154(b).
Are the winch handle and ratchet wrench patented?: No. All 17 claims are directed to the winch. The operating tools are separate articles and are not covered, so we do not mark them as patented.