Device for driving a handrail for an escalator or moving walkway

Device (2) for driving a handrail (6) of an escalator (40) or for driving a handrail (6) of a moving walkway, the device (2) comprising:

• a drive belt (1), which is deflected by way of a first and a second deflection roller (7, 7.1) and forms a contact zone with the handrail (10), and at least one counter-pressure guide roller (4), for guiding the handrail (6) along the entire contact zone (10) bearing against the drive belt (1) and which is drivable by the drive belt (1) by means of friction couple between the drive belt (1) and handrail (6), wherein the device (2) further comprises a first tangential plane (T′), which is tangential to the first and second deflection rollers (7, 7.1) and which is formed parallel to the axis of rotation of the first and second deflection rollers (7, 7.1), and a second tangential plane (T″), which is tangential to the at least one counter-pressure guide roller (4) or one of the first and second deflection rollers (7, 7.1), wherein the second tangential plane (T″) is arranged parallel to the first tangential plane (T′) and the first and second tangential planes (T′, T″) are so constructed that the first and second deflection rollers (7, 7.1) and the at least one counter-pressure guide roller (4) are arranged between the tangential planes (T′, T″), characterized in that the device (2) comprises a deflecting element (16), which is arranged between the first and second tangential planes (T′, T″) and at a spacing from the first and second deflection rollers (7, 7.1) and which ensures that a lift-off point (18), which bounds the contact zone (10), of the handrail (6) from the drive belt (1) is located at the deflection roller (7) ahead of a region of deflection of the drive belt by the counter-pressure guide roller (1).