Patent ID: 7892212

Claim:
A drive device for advancing an advancing element relative to a housing over a total advancing distance, comprising a spring device for driving the advancing element in an advancing direction and a tensioning element for tensioning the spring device, wherein the spring device is tensioned between a counter-element and one of the advancing element and the tensioning element, and the advancing element is movable relative to the counter-element; a first tension distance defined between the counter-element and the advancing element or between the counter-element and the tensioning element is set by translational movement of the tensioning element relative to the housing that tensions the spring device, the first tension distance corresponding to a first partial advancing distance of the advancing element; the spring device is releasable to drive the advancing element the first partial advancing distance; a second tension distance defined between the counter-element and the advancing element or between the counter-element and the tensioning element is set by an additional translational movement of the tensioning element relative to the housing that tensions the spring device, the second tension distance corresponding to a second partial advancing distance of the advancing element; and each of the first partial advancing distance and the second partial advancing distance is shorter than the total advancing distance.