Abstract: A drive device (10, 100) with an actuating drive (40, 130) for driving a movable element (11, 110), in which drive device a lever (62, 144) coupled to the movable element (11, 110) is capable of being driven by the actuating drive (40, 130) via a gear (48, 132), the lever (62, 144) being capable of being acted upon by a firmly supported return spring (34, 164) so as to be capable of being pivoted back into a basic position (82, 161), and, in the basic position (82, 161), a first lever arm (64, 146) of the lever (62, 144) being acted upon by a stop (84, 160), is to have a particularly low space requirement and at the same time absorb momentum energy of the gear (48, 132) in a particularly reliable way in the event of a failure of the actuating drive (40, 130).