cannot return my own user type to variant function

i have following error:
Only public user defined types defined in public object modules can be used as parameters or return types for public procedures of class modules or as fields of public user defined types


This error has the following cause and solution:

You attempted to use a public user defined type as a parameter or return type for a public procedure of a class module, or as a field of a public user defined type. Only public user defined types that are defined in a public object module can be used in this manner.



this is my code:

Code:

---

Option Explicit
Private Type xmlKLANT
    KLANT_ID As Integer
    KLANT_NAAM As String
End Type

Private Sub Command1_Click()
 Dim vThingie As Variant
    ParseXML "blab", vThingie
End Sub

Public Function ParseXML(sText As String, ByRef vThing As Variant)
Dim xKlant As xmlKLANT
  vThing = xKlant
End Function

---

how can i return my own user-defined type to the variant?
the purpose is to create a general function that can return different usertypes by parsing the text.

i have created the dll with the types defined in it.
then i have compiled it.

how can i now use it (reference it?). please point this out to me.
thanks a lot.