Patents by Inventor Miroslav Kropac
Miroslav Kropac has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
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Patent number: 11845374Abstract: A loading system laterally loads and unloads an upper body structure onto a vehicle platform of a motor vehicle. The system includes two loading arms pivotably mounted on lengthwise ends of the vehicle platform. The loading arms jointly swivel between upward and lateral orientations with respect to the vehicle platform and jointly extend and retract. Each loading arm has an engaging portion at a distal end of the respective loading arm to engage a corresponding support portion at a respective lengthwise end of the upper body structure. The loading arms engage and release the upper body structure by swiveling into the lateral orientation and extending and retracting within the lateral orientation. The loading arms mount the engaged upper body structure on top of the vehicle platform by swiveling with the engaged upper body structure into the upward orientation and retracting with the engaged upper body structure within the upward orientation.Type: GrantFiled: May 25, 2021Date of Patent: December 19, 2023Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, Kia CorporationInventors: Bahman Moarefi, Andrew Vaughan, Vincent Laurent, Miroslav Kropac, Jelle Tjebbes, Sebastian Kluh, Ameya Karmarkar, Rolf Verhoeven, Kadir Oguzcan Ger
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Publication number: 20230009002Abstract: A loading system for laterally loading and unloading an upper body structure onto and from a vehicle platform includes loading gear rails mounted on respective lengthwise ends of the vehicle platform, the loading gear rails configured to jointly extend and retract from the vehicle platform by moving in a lateral direction of the vehicle platform, each loading gear rail having first gear teeth gear-engaging with a correspondingly formed platform gear wheel rotatably mounted on the vehicle platform and second gear teeth configured to engage a correspondingly formed upper body gear wheel at a respective lengthwise end of the upper body structure, wherein the platform gear wheel actuates lateral movement of the loading gear rails to engage the upper body structure with the loading gear rails at the upper body gear wheels and to load the engaged upper body structure onto the vehicle platform or to load and unload the engaged upper body structure from the vehicle platform.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 29, 2021Publication date: January 12, 2023Inventors: Bahman MOAREFI, Andrew VAUGHN, Vincent LAURENT, Miroslav KROPAC, Jelle TJEBBES, Sebastian KLÜH, Ameya KARMARKAR, Rolf VERHOEVEN, Kadir OGUZCAN GER
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Publication number: 20220306220Abstract: A loading system laterally loads and unloads an upper body structure onto a vehicle platform of a motor vehicle. The system includes two loading arms pivotably mounted on lengthwise ends of the vehicle platform. The loading arms jointly swivel between upward and lateral orientations with respect to the vehicle platform and jointly extend and retract. Each loading arm has an engaging portion at a distal end of the respective loading arm to engage a corresponding support portion at a respective lengthwise end of the upper body structure. The loading arms engage and release the upper body structure by swiveling into the lateral orientation and extending and retracting within the lateral orientation. The loading arms mount the engaged upper body structure on top of the vehicle platform by swiveling with the engaged upper body structure into the upward orientation and retracting with the engaged upper body structure within the upward orientation.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2021Publication date: September 29, 2022Inventors: Bahman Moarefi, Andrew Vaughan, Vincent Laurent, Miroslav Kropac, Jelle Tjebbes, Sebastian Kluh, Ameya Karmarkar, Rolf Verhoeven, Kadir Oguzcan Ger
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Publication number: 20220297778Abstract: A vehicle platform for a vehicle is provided. The platform includes a platform base extending in a longitudinal direction, and a loading system for laterally loading and unloading an upper body structure onto the platform base. The loading system includes first and second fork arms supporting the upper body structure with respect to a vertical direction, and a lifting mechanism coupled to the platform base and the first and second fork arms. The lifting mechanism moves the first and second fork arms relative to the platform base along the vertical direction. The first and second fork arms are spaced apart in the longitudinal direction and each are movable along a lateral direction between a retracted position, in which the fork arms completely overlap with the platform base, and an extended position, in which the fork arms protrude in the lateral direction from a lateral side of the platform base.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 25, 2021Publication date: September 22, 2022Inventors: Bahman Moarefi, Andrew Vaughan, Vincent Laurent, Miroslav Kropac, Jelle Tjebbes, Sebastian Kluh, Ameya Karmarkar, Rolf Verhoeven, Kadir Oguzcan Ger
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Patent number: 9851066Abstract: A signal lamp for a front and rear lighting of a vehicle includes at least one light source for emitting light, wherein the at least one light source is hidden from view; a reflector for reflecting the light emitted by the at least one light source away from the vehicle; and at least one light guide disposed between the reflector and a cover of the signal lamp, the at least one light guide having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is disposed adjacent the at least one light source and the second end is located adjacent a focus point of the reflector.Type: GrantFiled: June 20, 2012Date of Patent: December 26, 2017Assignee: VARROC LIGHTING SYSTEMS S.R.O.Inventors: Miroslav Kropac, Jan Kratochvil, Ludek Mazal, Martin Dluhos, Pavel Tuma
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Publication number: 20170122519Abstract: A light guide module for a vehicle lamp may include a one-piece body including an in-coupling part formed so light of at least one external light source is coupled into the in-coupling part, a light-transmitting part formed adjacent to the in-coupling part such that the light coupled into the in-coupling part is transmitted by total internal reflection through the light-transmitting part away from the in-coupling part, a partially-transmitting part formed adjacent to the light-transmitting part such that the light transmitted through the light-transmitting part is partially transmitted by total internal reflection through the partially-transmitting part away from the light-transmitting part and is partially emitted on at least one light-emitting partial area of at least one side surface of the partially-transmitting part, and an out-coupling part formed adjacent to the partially-transmitting part such that the light transmitted through the partially-transmitting part is emitted on an out-coupling surface of tType: ApplicationFiled: December 18, 2015Publication date: May 4, 2017Applicants: Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center GmbH, Hyundai Motor Company, Kia Motors CorporationInventors: Achim FREIDING, Miroslav KROPAC
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Patent number: 9581307Abstract: A light module for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The light module includes a light source and a reflecting unit. The light module also includes an optical waveguide, wherein the waveguide is formed by a plate-shaped body having an L-shaped cross section, the light-reflecting unit comprises a reflector arranged in front of a shorter input part of the waveguide, and wherein at a place where a shorter inlet part of the waveguide passes into a longer outlet part of the waveguide, an angled surface is provided for total reflection of light passing through the shorter inlet part of the waveguide to the longer outlet part of the waveguide, wherewith a bottom area and an adjacent face of the outlet part of the waveguide are provided with a white coating.Type: GrantFiled: January 3, 2014Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: VARROC LIGHTING SYSTEMS S.R.O.Inventors: Miroslav Kropac, Ludek Mazal, Tomas Mateju, Libor Juttner
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Patent number: 9541252Abstract: A concentric lighting module with conical mirror for creating of a three-dimensional optical effect, especially in the outer brake and tail lights of a motor vehicle, has in the peripheral region of the conical mirror (3) a cylindrical output part (2c) of a light guide (2) provided by at least one offset (2d) on its outer side, which terminates in an active surface (2e) and which couples in the region beyond the conical mirror (3) to the collimator part (2b) of the light guide (2), formed by a parabolic collimator and a lens and applied by its input part (2a) against the light source (1) of the module, and at the transition between the collimator part (2b) and the output part (2c) of the light guide (2) the module is provided with a total internal light reflection surface (4), whose bottom part also forms an optical prism (4a).Type: GrantFiled: August 30, 2013Date of Patent: January 10, 2017Assignee: VARROC LIGHTING SYSTEMS, S.R.O.Inventors: Miroslav Kropac, Libor Juttner, Tomas Nejezchleba, Ivana Chmielova
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Patent number: 9010982Abstract: A light guide module with adjustable lighting of a contour surface is composed of light sources and a light guide. The light guide is composed of a primary part, a Y-shaped branch, and a secondary part with a contour surface. The supporting surface of the Y-shaped branch of the light guide is composed of a system of directional optical elements, is of prismatic shape, conical shape, or a combination thereof, and has a vertex on the optical axis of the primary part of the light guide.Type: GrantFiled: November 1, 2011Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Varroc Lighting Systems S.R.O.Inventors: Miroslav Kropac, Petr Mrklovsky, Libor Juttner, Thomas Nejezchleba
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Publication number: 20140334171Abstract: Lighting device, which is intended especially for external end lighting of motor vehicles, consists of an elongated light guide, provided with a light source at least at one of its ends and located in the space between the white rear cover of the lighting device and its front lens, while along the light guide on the side facing the front lens there is produced a transparent shielding filter in the form of a strip, for shielding the light guide, which is provided with a set of optical elements for directing the guided luminous flux onto the exit surface of the light guide, which is oriented in the direction of the internal surface of the white rear cover.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 12, 2014Publication date: November 13, 2014Applicant: Varroc Lighting Systems, s.r.o.Inventors: Miroslav Kropac, Libor Juttner, Ludek Mazal, Tomas Mateju
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Publication number: 20140233251Abstract: A light module for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The light module includes a light source and a reflecting unit. The light module also includes an optical waveguide, wherein the waveguide is formed by a plate-shaped body having an L-shaped cross section, the light-reflecting unit comprises a reflector arranged in front of a shorter input part of the waveguide, and wherein at a place where a shorter inlet part of the waveguide passes into a longer outlet part of the waveguide, an angled surface is provided for total reflection of light passing through the shorter inlet part of the waveguide to the longer outlet part of the waveguide, wherewith a bottom area and an adjacent face of the outlet part of the waveguide are provided with a white coating.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 3, 2014Publication date: August 21, 2014Applicant: Varroc Lighting Systems s.r.o.Inventors: Miroslav Kropac, Ludek Mazal, Tomas Mateju, Libor Juttner
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Publication number: 20140092615Abstract: A concentric lighting module with conical mirror for creating of a three-dimensional optical effect, especially in the outer brake and tail lights of a motor vehicle, has in the peripheral region of the conical mirror (3) a cylindrical output part (2c) of a light guide (2) provided by at least one offset (2d) on its outer side, which terminates in an active surface (2e) and which couples in the region beyond the conical mirror (3) to the collimator part (2b) of the light guide (2), formed by a parabolic collimator and a lens and applied by its input part (2a) against the light source (1) of the module, and at the transition between the collimator part (2b) and the output part (2c) of the light guide (2) the module is provided with a total internal light reflection surface (4), whose bottom part also forms an optical prism (4a).Type: ApplicationFiled: August 30, 2013Publication date: April 3, 2014Inventors: Miroslav Kropac, Libor Juttner, Tomas Nejezchleba, Ivana Chmielova
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Patent number: 8434892Abstract: A flat refractive collimator assembly including a light guide and a light source, for example, an LED. The sides of the light guide defines a collimating reflective surface having a paraboloidal shape with a collimating focal point placed on the axis of the light guide. The central portion of the light guide defines a main reflective surface having a virtual focal point, which is substantially similar to the collimating focal point. The collimating reflective surface is a paraboloidal surface or is formed as a plurality of paraboloidal segments having various focal lengths and having a common collimating focal point. The collimating reflective surface can also include spread optics.Type: GrantFiled: March 30, 2011Date of Patent: May 7, 2013Assignees: Varroccorp Holding BV, Varroc Engineering Private Limited, Varroc Lighting Systems S.R.O.Inventors: Zdislav Zwak, Miroslav Kropac, Milan Cejnek
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Publication number: 20120327680Abstract: A signal lamp for a front and rear lighting of a vehicle includes at least one light source for emitting light, wherein the at least one light source is hidden from view; a reflector for reflecting the light emitted by the at least one light source away from the vehicle; and at least one light guide disposed between the reflector and a cover of the signal lamp, the at least one light guide having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is disposed adjacent the at least one light source and the second end is located adjacent a focus point of the reflector.Type: ApplicationFiled: June 20, 2012Publication date: December 27, 2012Applicant: VISTEON GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Miroslav Kropac, Jan Kratochvil, Ludek Mazal, Martin Dluhos, Pavel Tuma
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Publication number: 20120250308Abstract: A flat refractive collimator assembly including a light guide and a light source, for example, an LED. The sides of the light guide defines a collimating reflective surface having a paraboloidal shape with a collimating focal point placed on the axis of the light guide. The central portion of the light guide defines a main reflective surface having a virtual focal point, which is substantially similar to the collimating focal point. The collimating reflective surface is a paraboloidal surface or is formed as a plurality of paraboloidal segments having various focal lengths and having a common collimating focal point. The collimating reflective surface can also include spread optics.Type: ApplicationFiled: March 30, 2011Publication date: October 4, 2012Applicant: VISTEON GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Zdislav Zwak, Miroslav Kropac, Milan Cejnek
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Publication number: 20120099310Abstract: A light guide module with adjustable lighting of a contour surface is composed of light sources and a light guide. The light guide is composed of a primary part, a Y-shaped branch, and a secondary part with a contour surface. The supporting surface of the Y-shaped branch of the light guide is composed of a system of directional optical elements, is of prismatic shape, conical shape, or a combination thereof, and has a vertex on the optical axis of the primary part of the light guide.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 1, 2011Publication date: April 26, 2012Applicant: VISTEON GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.Inventors: Miroslav Kropac, Petr Mrklovsky, Libor Juttner, Thomas Nejezchleba
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Patent number: 7686497Abstract: A light guide and module for motor vehicles that directs light generally along a horizontal axis. The module includes an array of light sources, an array of reflectors and a light guide. The light guide defines a body having opposed upper and lower walls. Formed in the lower wall is at least one prismatic structure having a reflecting surface oriented to reflect light based the principle of total internal reflection and to redirect light toward the upper wall. Formed in the upper wall is at least one decoupling prism element. The decoupling prism elements corresponding in number to the prismatic structures and are located in the upper wall so as to receive redirected light from its corresponding prismatic structures. The decoupling prism element includes a second reflecting surface that reflects light redirected from the first reflecting surface.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2007Date of Patent: March 30, 2010Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies, Inc.Inventors: Miroslav Kropac, Jan Martoch
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Publication number: 20080002427Abstract: A light guide and module for motor vehicles that directs light generally along a horizontal axis. The module includes an array of light sources, an array of reflectors and a light guide. The light guide defines a body having opposed upper and lower walls. Formed in the lower wall is at least one prismatic structure having a reflecting surface oriented to reflect light based the principle of total internal reflection and to redirect light toward the upper wall. Formed in the upper wall is at least one decoupling prism element. The decoupling prism elements corresponding in number to the prismatic structures and are located in the upper wall so as to receive redirected light from its corresponding prismatic structures. The decoupling prism element includes a second reflecting surface that reflects light redirected from the first reflecting surface.Type: ApplicationFiled: May 15, 2007Publication date: January 3, 2008Inventors: Miroslav Kropac, Jan Martoch